The Living Turnarounds group just met yesterday afternoon and oh my, what a delicious inquiry delight.
Three people couldn’t make it last minute, for various reasons, so we had only five.
Which was rich, amazing and full.
Worksheet topics were the following:
- interim minister at the church isn’t allowing announcements the way we’ve always done it
- husband at the dinner table isn’t eating the food
- I should know where I’ll live and work in my future…or else I’ll get stuck in a soul-sucking job
- the worst that could happen when driving is passing out at the wheel
- I voted for Trump, and am afraid everyone hates me
So brilliant.
I love everyone’s depth of honesty.
These people have the hang of The Work by being involved in this in-depth group. Some are in Year of Inquiry, or were in previous years, so have a ton of experience questioning their thoughts steadily over time. Some have attended the School for The Work with Katie.
They know not to immediately begin to try and solve other people’s worksheets, offer a ton of advice, or go on and on telling their story and justifying or explaining their pain from their own worksheets.
But I have to admit.
I especially loved the worksheet presented by the participant who was upset by all the Trump-haters.
Everyone got to do The Work on a key stressful belief from their upsetting situation….but this Trump voter was the very last. We took only 15 minutes to begin the process of questioning her first belief “these intolerant people are impossible for me to deal with!”
(She was referring to all the people ranting and raving about Trump on facebook, and the current political scene in the US. She felt surrounded, all her friends on the “other side”. If they only knew her thoughts….)
As a facilitator, I’ve had people many times now do The Work on the election, Trump, those who voted in Trump, and other related thoughts. I’ve heard Katie doing The Work up on stage with people with similar sentiments.
I love hearing a worksheet from someone standing in the other camp.
Someone in the group said “that worksheet could have been mine exactly” only she voted for Clinton.
How do humans react when they believe the thought that someone should be doing it That Other Way?
WAR! FIGHT! KILL! RUN!
Who would you be without your beliefs about that dreadful situation, those people against you, that difficult outcome, the scary picture in your mind?
What if you just simply couldn’t have the awareness of that thing, that group, that situation you’re against?
Who would you be without that belief?
I love that you don’t have to BE there, to answer that question. It’s using the imagination to wonder who you WOULD be, without your thought?
It’s an exciting thing to wonder about, to ask, to ponder. It turns your mind to other alternatives. You’re not all upset with What Is, you’re interested in What You Don’t Know.
Imagination kicks in, and it’s exciting instead of horrifying.
Turning the thought around: They should be doing it exactly the way they’re doing it. I shouldn’t be doing it like that (the way I oppose).
How could this be just as true, or truer?
How could it be an advantage, or interesting, or helpful…..even the BEST thing that could happen?
Woah. You mean? Are you serious?
Trump should be in office? My husband should be eating nothing at the dinner table? My sister should be giving me the silent treatment? My boyfriend should have turned out to be a loser? I shouldn’t know where I’m going to live? My minister should be shaking up the church? I should be experiencing panic attacks?
Well, why not?
That’s what this work is truly, madly, deeply about. It’s about questioning what we think is true that brings PAIN and SUFFERING and WAR into our minds and hearts.
Doesn’t it sound great to question these things?
Yes.
“Don’t settle for scratching the surface of things. Everything happens as it should; that’s just the way of it….I follow the way of it, which is always revealed in the moment. It’s God’s will, and it’s always crystal clear.” ~ Byron Katie
If you’re interested in hearing The Work from someone who voted for Trump, who has thoughts about those against her….stay tuned for a live inquiry jam session very soon, where I’ll facilitate her on this amazing worksheet. It will likely be a Sunday morning Pacific Time. Everyone welcome to listen in live, and share or ask questions after inquiry.
Let’s do this.
Much love,
Grace