Here’s another way to look at it…
Byron Katie, the spiritual teacher has an exercise that she calls “the work”
And the essence of the work is to help people challenge their stories and beliefs of WHO they think they are.
So you would start with a thought that you believed was true like:
“I am _______”
” My boss Katia is _______”
Then you would ask 4 questions that challenged the absolute nature of that thought and pushed against the walls of beliefs that you’ve built around those thoughts.
And in the end, you ask yourself:
“who would I be without this thought or story?”
Then the process of the work goes on to turn things around.
One important thing that comes up from this process is not just the liberation of not being tied to a particular story about yourself…
…But more importantly, seeing that you are more than the thoughts that you hold on to.
They aren’t as important as you may have previously believed.
But here’s an even more important question that should follow from this process…
If you aren’t your thoughts, then what are you?
WHO are you?