"The Work" by Byron Katie

I’m digging into the toolbox of the many great tools collected over the years. I’m checking in with a fascinating favorite with Byron Katie’s “The Work”

This thought exercise can be use to disrupt cyclic patterns of thoughts, breaking one out of a particular narrative. It can even be used to explore some shadow work. It's rather simple exercise that you can engage in. You make a statement that is stirring some emotional reactivity in you, then you ask yourself the following questions:  

Question 1: Is it true?

Question 2: Can you absolutely know it’s true?

Question 3: How do you react when you believe that thought?

Question 4: Who would you be without the thought?

After answering the questions, you do a “turn around”

For the “turn around” - you ‘flip’ part of the initial statement and go through the 4 questions again. This allows your mind to explore other pathways that you may not have been open to.

The exercise is not intended to change the circumstance, rather shift your thinking around it.

Sometimes shadow work can be as simple as checking in with a negative or limiting belief that comes up. By doing the questions and turnaround of The Work exercise. I enjoy seeing what this tool brings up and exploring the possible limiting thinking that I may have.

There’s even an app for it: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-work-app/id478610069