Byron
Katie, The Work pdf contains four easy questions that turn negative thoughts
around. It also changes your reaction to situations that stress you and to love
reality as is. You need only investigate the thoughts that create stress in
your life.
The
Work is about awakening or investigating what you’re experiencing this moment.
It’s
a great technique to challenge your faulty thinking and be more open-minded.
The more open you are to exploring your deepest beliefs, the more enlightened and relieved you’ll be!
Are
you frustrated, unhappy, or stressed? Then let’s have a look at what it all
means.
Byron Katie, The Work pdf: The Four Questions
When
you are unhappy ask yourself these four questions. It can really help change
your perspective:
1.
Is
this thought true?
2.
Can
I be absolutely sure that it’s true without a doubt?
3.
How
do I react when I believe this thought?
4.
Who
would I be without this thought?
For
example, you have a group presentation due tomorrow and your business partner
still hasn’t sent you her research. You may start thinking, “Lisa’s so
unreliable. How can she be so careless?”
Write
that thought on a piece of paper and answer the questions above.
Is
this thought true? Is Lisa really unreliable? Has the same thing happened
before or is this the first time? Are you 100% sure that she’s always unreliable?
Then,
explore your feelings. Did you get angry? Defensive? Hurt? What if the thought
didn’t exist? Would your life be easier?
Most negative thoughts would likely go away once you dig deeper. Once this has been done, you are now ready for the turnaround.
Byron Katie, The Work pdf: The Turnaround
The
turnaround is when you look at the original thought in different ways and see
how you react to each of them. It’s an extra step after asking yourself the
questions now that you’re more open-minded.
The thought “Lisa is unreliable” may slowly turn into the following turnarounds:
1.
Lisa
is reliable.
2.
I
could be the unreliable one.
3.
There
could be more turnarounds…keep investigating until it feels real – or more
‘real’ than the original thought!
Your reactions and feelings toward these turnarounds will vary—and they must! Just make sure to consider them all and follow your gut feeling. Remember that there’s no one right answer, only more options to clarify the original thought.
You
can even ask yourself the four questions again for the turnarounds you feel
strongly about. Another key when applying The Work is that it isn’t about
achieving something or figuring things out.
You’re just investigating the experience further (and your emotions and thoughts) and accepting it as if it were your first time dealing with it.
