The full title of the book is “Loving What Is: Four Questions that Can Change your Life” by Byron Katie and co-authored with her husband Stephen Mitchell.
After reading this book we believe it provides an overlooked key to help end all suffering. We have read many self-help and personal-growth books but none really change anything; this book did for us. We all intuitively know that our thoughts create our suffering, but we lack the tools to challenge and change our thoughts. This book is not written by a new age Guru re-cycling stuff we know already, instead it is written by someone who has been to hell for 10 years and discovered how to find the peace and happiness that was always there. It’s Real. It’s Authentic.
You may already be aware of Byron Katie since she appeared on Oprah recently (one of the reasons we purchased this book). Byron Katie (or “Katie” as everyone calls her) has developed a powerful process of inquiry called “The Work”.
What Is “The Work”?
In her early thirties Katie was severely depressed. For nearly ten years the depression, self-loathing and suicidal thoughts just spiraled, so much so that for last two of those ten years she could not even leave her bedroom.
It all changed one February Morning in 1986 when in her own words she “woke up to reality”.
“I discovered that when I believed my thoughts, I suffered, but that when I didn’t believe them, I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment. That joy is in everyone, always.”
Over the years she developed a process called the work. The process is profoundly simple and only requires a pen and paper and an open mind. It will help you trace the sources of unhappiness in your life, eliminate them and set yourself free. The work is a process of inquiry and consists of 4 questions and a “turn around”.
- Is it true?
- Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
- How do you react when you think that thought?
- Who would you be without the thought?
and
Turn it around.
We don’t want to give the process away or try to explain what Katie already explains so well – you can read an explanation of the work on Katie’s web site www.thework.org.
How Does “The Work” work
Eckhart Tolle had the best explanation we could find on how “The Work” works:
“The root cause of suffering is identification with our thoughts, the ‘stories’ that are continuously running through our minds. The Work acts like a razor-sharp sword that cuts through that illusion and enables you to know for yourself the timeless essence of your being. Joy, peace, and love emanate from it as your natural state.”
Want More
Check out Katie’s official blog http://www.byronkatie.com/
You can also buy Byron Katie’s book from Amazon.
PARTING TIP If you are suffering from any problem try this YouTube search. Go to www.YouTube.com and search for “Byron Katie + <problem>” – you may just find the solution to your problem.
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About Danny Sheehan
Danny lives in Hong Kong but is originally from Australia. He is Married to Maggie and together they have two children with whom they enjoy sharing and enjoying an exciting life with daily. Danny's passions are freedom, adventure and discovery, mainly in nature and science but also spiritually. He is a great believer in living in the NOW.
More about Danny Sheehan
Healthy Living, Life Online