The Work of Byron Katie:
How to experience the life you want when the power of positive thinking
and the law of attraction don't work
Using The Work to Bridge the Gap Between Scarcity
and Wealth
by Molly Gordon, MCC
Samuel Johnson once characterized a friend's decision to marry
as "the triumph of hope over experience." That applies to many
approaches to ending scarcity and creating wealth.
Hope is always a story of the future. When you study
the law of attraction or try to use the power of positive thinking in
the hope of getting what you want, you are affirming that you don't have
it now. I suspect you know that and are as frustrated by it as I have
been for many years.
You know that the only way you can use the law of attraction
to get the results you want -- is by knowing that you have everything
now. Now is the only place and time where experience
can occur. You can't hope for what you already experience, and if you
hope that a pleasurable experience continues; you generate worry, not
attraction.
But what if your definition of wealth or success is at odds with
your current situation? Welcome to cognitive dissonance, the
static that is created when your way of thinking and reality are at war.
The mind races to resolve cognitive dissonance, which it achieves by means
of changing beliefs or denying reality, or both.
The classic illustration of how the mind resolves cognitive dissonance
concerns a UFO cult that became even more entrenched in their
beliefs following the failure of their leader's prophecy. When the expected
destruction of the earth -- an event central to their belief system --
did not happen, cult members simply adopted a new prophecy: that the aliens
had chosen to spare the planet for the sake of the faithful.
Obviously, leaving the resolution of cognitive dissonance up
to an unquestioned mind is a risky move, but what can you do
to resolve the dissonance between your perception of lack or inadequacy
and your desire to create wealth and success?
As you have doubtless discovered, arguing with your thoughts
leaves you exhausted at best and feeling slimy and inauthentic at worst.
No amount of spiritual contortion will straighten your path to happiness.
Using The Work to Bridge the Gap Between Scarcity and Wealth
Enter The Work of Byron Katie®. If you prefer to muddle
your way to a successful, meaningful business, as I did for decades, skip
this section. I'm living proof that a good-hearted and confused person
with a chip on her shoulder can climb out of her personal slough of despond
given enough experimentation.
But I think you'll agree that it's not polite to turn your back
on a gift from your best friend. (Now, who or what might that
be?) You can think of The Work as a way to open the gift of the present
(ouch!) by gently and thoroughly untying the ribbons of your thoughts
with the four questions and turn-arounds. Inside that present is the wealth
and success you are seeking, and it has been my experience that they do,
in fact, attract more of the same.
The Triumph of Experience Over Hope
The key to reconciling the power of positive thinking and the law of
attraction with the way of things is to cultivate the experience you hope
to have. Experience wealth now to attract wealth later. Experience self-acceptance
now to attract self-acceptance later. (Oh, and by the way, let go of results.
But that's another story.)
The primacy of experience has everything to do with the manner
in which you approach and apply The Work. The Work is an experiential
process of meeting your thoughts with compassionate curiosity for the
love of truth. (Thank God, you don't have to be perfect at that. I'm here
to tell you that my love of truth is a bit tattered sometimes. But I digress.)
To experience the results you want, go in and let the answers
to the four questions rise up from inside. Resist the temptation
to answer from what Katie calls the "I Know Mind." What you already know
can only get you what you already have, Go in and hang out in that possibly
disorienting space of not knowing what you are supposed to notice. Sit.
Wait. And in spite of your conviction that you can't do this, the answers
will rise.
Now the fun begins. As you become aware of an answer,
savor it. Take the whole roller-coaster ride, fully experiencing all that
your thoughts create, from misery to ecstasy. In the space of not knowing,
it is safe to meet and explore your craziest and most problematic thoughts.
Why would you want to experience the icky stuff? You
may be thinking you already spend more than enough time believing your
stressful thoughts. But believing or arguing with them is entirely different
from taking the ride. When you fully experience the consequences of your
painful beliefs (Question 3, "How do I react when I believe that thought?
What happens?"), you fully experience the power of mind.
Your worst fears – the ones that have kept you from paradise
– reveal themselves as tickets to the amusement park of mind.
Every painful thought is a ticket to freedom, but only if you question
it. This is one transformation that can't be faked.
The secret to this magic trick is willingness to let go of I
Know Mind. Again, this is not something you need to do perfectly.
If it were, I'd be crying in my beer instead of writing this article.
Just do The Work. Do it again. Do it with a facilitator (check out the
free Hotline http://www.thework.com/network/hotline.cfm).
* * *
Takeaway:
The key to reconciling the power of positive thinking and the law
of attraction with the way of things is to cultivate awareness of
and gratitude for the perfection of the present moment. Love yourself
and your life now, and when you can't, do The Work.
* * *
 Learn
more about Authentic Promotion - a comprehensive small
business marketing resource that turns marketing and self promotion into
a path of increasing self-awareness, authenticity, and right livelihood.
In particular, the strategies for building wealth you will learn to apply
will build the solid foundation for your authentic prosperity as an entrepreneur.
* * *
Contact Master Certified Coach
Molly Gordon at:
Shaboom Inc. Life could be a dream…
PO Box 195
Suquamish, WA 98392-0195
mgordon@authenticpromotion.com
As a business coach and small
business marketing consultant, Molly Gordon, MCC, is available in Greater
Seattle Area and internationally |
