The Work of Byron KatieThe Work is my (non!)drug of choice for working with people on their thoughts because it has radically transformed my way of being in the world. It continues to keep me clear and enable me to meet whatever comes up in my thinking that takes me out of peace and unconditional love toward myself and others. It's not that I'm unflappable. But I move through life now from a stance of such joy and trust and self-love that it stands out for me when I'm irate or discouraged or critical. I notice it when I'm ruffled. Thus, any unwanted reaction or emotion shows me I've got something new to question--or, as Katie says, to meet with understanding. Katie, the originator of The Work, teaches that nothing that ever happens to me is inherently stressful. My stress comes out of the thoughts I have about what happens to me. If someone else speaks to me with anger, there's no problem until I'm offended and give the anger back. (Katie says that defense is the first act of war!) If I lose the job or someone walks out of my life, there's no problem if I say, "I've been spared" and look for the benefits to myself. I can take anything that frustrates me in how others behave and use it as a mirror to look at myself more carefully and to make sure I'm the one living by my values. (It's not my job to mind the values and consistency of others.) What are the blanket beliefs about life out of which I operate unconsciously? I need to be perfect, I can't do what I love, There's never enough time, There's something about me that keeps me from the right relationship. I can locate these and question them . . . so that I can have a peaceful, loving, expansive life that isn't dictated by a false limiting concept--a lie I tell myself and believe. We all have a story about ourselves, about other people, about how life works. And we have no other option but to live out the life that this story describes. Katie's provocative question is, Who would you be without your story? The Work consists of four questions and a turnaround--a way of rephrasing our stressful thought so that we can look at it from other angles and expand our way of seeing. After that, our vision comes closer to the truth and to the infinite potentiality of the Universe. The four questions are:
To learn more about The Work, watch brief video clips of Katie doing inquiry on many topics, and explore the many free resources offered on her website, go to http://www.TheWork.com. To learn more about how The Work has impacted me personally, read my story. |
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"Jaya helped me through one of the most difficult transitions of my life. I called her in a pretty hysterical state at one of my lowest moments. She expertly guided me with kindness, insight, and patience. Two hours later, her compassionate, intuitive approach gave me the clarity to make smart, peaceful choices for how to handle my situation. I have had the privilege of doing The Work with many fine and skilled facilitators and Jaya, to my mind, is one of the best."
--New York City client
"Jaya helped me through one of the most difficult transitions of my life. I called her in a pretty hysterical state at one of my lowest moments. She expertly guided me with kindness, insight, and patience. Two hours later, her compassionate, intuitive approach gave me the clarity to make smart, peaceful choices for how to handle my situation. I have had the privilege of doing The Work with many fine and skilled facilitators and Jaya, to my mind, is one of the best."
--New York City client
