The Work Is a Specific Protocol
1. You identify a stressful thought.
2. You apply the four questions of The Work to that thought.
3. You find turnarounds (opposites) for the thought.
4. You look for examples of how the turnarounds could be true.
Following this simple protocol has worked time and time again for me. It takes my stressful thought, helps me to loosen my attachment to it, and then points me in the opposite direction, towards freedom and peace.
But What Happens If You Don’t Follow These Directions?
Sometimes, due to inexperience, attachment to being right, or confusion, the mind does not follow these simple steps. And the result is that the mind digs deeper into its own story.
It’s like you’re walking through a maze and you come to a dead end. But you’re sure the exit is just ahead so you keep walking into the wall at the dead end.
The Work says, “Are you sure this is the right way?” And you say, “Yes, 100% sure.” And you keep banging into the wall. The Work doesn’t work if you’re not open to reconsidering.
And It Also Doesn’t Work When You Spin
Here’s what spinning looks like. You’re in the dead end of the maze and maybe by answering the four questions of The Work, you start to be open to the idea that maybe walking into the wall is not the best option.
If you’re questioning the thought, “The shortest way out of the maze is straight ahead,” a turnaround would be, “The shortest way out of the maze is behind.” And if I explore this turnaround, I’ll probably stop banging into the wall in front of me and walk out of the dead end in the opposite direction.
But a spin is something different. A spin looks like a turnaround, but it doesn’t get me anywhere. It’s a kind of fake turnaround. Often it is a double turnaround.
For example, a spin would be “The shortest way out of the maze is not behind.” Or, “The longest way out of the maze is behind.” It looks like a turnaround, but it’s really just saying the same thing as the original statement, “The shortest way out of the maze is straight ahead.”
A Spin Is Often a Turnaround of a Turnaround
It’s easy to do the math. If a turnaround moves me 180 degrees in the opposite direction, then a turnaround of a turnaround will moves me 180 + 180 degrees which spins me right back to where I started: banging into the wall again.
The danger of this confusion is that I actually think that I turned it around. So I start to feel even more justified for banging into the wall. Now I know I’m right!
But in reality, I’m not doing The Work here. I found a spin instead of a turnaround. And it’s leading me right back into my old belief system.
You’ll Feel This Because The Stress Increases
Stress is the indication that I’m going in the wrong direction. Peace is the indication that I’m moving in the right direction. That’s why I pay attention to my stress levels when I’m doing my work.
Any time I find myself increasing my stress when doing The Work, I know I’m headed off in a direction that is not bringing me back home, and is not actually The Work. I trust my stress meter. It doesn’t lie.
So that’s how I catch spins. I pay attention to my stress. And I avoid turning around a turnaround. When I follow these principles, I find genuine turnarounds that allow me to get out of any dead end.
If you want more practice catching spins, and improving your ability to find turnarounds, join us for The Work 101 online course starting soon.
Have a great week,
Todd
“The mind is so stuck in its patterns of proving that it’s right that it spins you away from the questions. Just notice that, and gently return to inquiry.” Byron Katie, A Thousand Names for Joy
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