Ever since I found that one inquiry session with a particular belief is usually not enough to affect a significant change – I’ve been trying various different ways of scheduling my Inquiry sessions.
I find that I can effectively do two Inquiry sessions, back-to-back. Therefore, what I find works rather well is doing one Inquiry session in the morning and two back-to-back session in the evening. Like anything else in life, Inquiry is one of those things that has to be done regularly in order to see results. I’ve tried “marathon” sessions of The Work during week-ends, but I found it exhausting – but I know I can stick with 3 sessions a day.
Like any other Self-Help method and good habit, I sometimes miss sessions and get out of the habit of using Inquiry. But I’m convinced of the power and simplicity of The Work now, so not too much time goes by without me using Inquiry.
I’ve experimented with “round-robin” methods of Inquiry: questioning certain beliefs on one day, another set of beliefs the next day and so on. But what I’m doing at the moment is focusing on questioning three different beliefs, but focusing on a different aspect of those beliefs on alternate days.
Let me explain further: on one day I question a belief from the aspect that I’ll never have it, then the next day I focus on the aspect of whether I need that thing. I find that I need and I’ll never are both two sides of the same coin, so to speak.
When I believe that I’ll never have a certain thing, I lose conscious awareness of the fact that I’ve experienced the same, or similar things in the past; I forget in that moment that good things have happened to me, that I have some good things right now and that I’ve made good decisions in the past. When I inquire into a belief using I’ll never, my heart reminds me of times in my life when good things did happen and I made decisions that turned out well for me.
I’ll never or I can’t comes from a sense of despair, guilt and regret. Inquiry can bring a person out of this sense of despair and into a state of hope, as they realise that they can indeed have that thing. This is not fantasy, it is not about claiming or attracting things that we think we need – it is about maintaining optimism and hope – it’s about believing in the best for yourself.
I need comes from a sense of lacking security and acceptance: the belief that I am not whole, lovable and effective, just as I am right now. I need affirms that I need something in order to be happy, safe and accepted by others. When anxiously hold onto the desire for something that I think will make me happy – I at once move away from the certainty that I am love, I am complete and that I have everything that I need in this moment.
When I cling to I need – I look to other people, achievement and material things to fulfil me, instead of embracing the fulfilment of the incredible person I am in this moment.
In order to address an anxious thought from more than one perspective, try asking I need and I’ll never…
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