The 4 Questions That Can Change Your Life and Mind with Byron Katie
Do you wrestle with the power your thoughts have over your beliefs about yourself and your life? Today’s podcast episode is for you, heroine.
Bestselling author and founder of The Work, my guest and spiritual teacher Byron Katie shares her experience waking up in a state of joy after a decade-long spiral into depression, rage, and self-loathing. This state of joy hasn’t left her since, and Byron has shared this transformational practice with others for over 30 years. The Work is a simple, yet powerful process of inquiry that teaches us to identify and question the thoughts that cause us suffering.
In this episode, Byron and I discuss her battle with depression, and the moment of her awakening (which she credits to a cockroach). She explains the principles of The Work, and the four key questions we need to ask in order to change our beliefs. This episode is filled with practical, simple steps to help you become more conscious of your thoughts and free yourself from suffering. If you feel stuck in your beliefs – about your identity, your work, or your relationships – by the end of this episode, you’ll see a way out by going inward.
Featured Moment
Byron: We can’t know who has more suffering than another. It’s up to each of us to take care of our own. Because when we’re frightened, we hurt other people. We step on other people to get ahead. And then our mind justifies. And then we feel guilt, it’s a vicious circle. We all have it in us, if we really want to end the fear in our life, and live in wisdom, as opposed to living out of guesswork and fear.
Show Notes
Byron’s childhood as a quiet, solitary young girl
Her decade-long experience with depression in her thirties
Byron re-lives the moment of awakening that pivoted her entire life trajectory
How The Work was born
Find out why Byron gives all the credit for her moment of awakening to a cockroach
The types of thoughts that hold us back and the four questions we need to ask them
The importance of uncovering the cause and the reaction to the thoughts we believe
Why intelligence is questioning and freedom is choosing the thoughts we believe
The difference between sitting in the “I know” mind as apposed the “curious” mind
References
Loving What Is - Four Questions That Can Change Your Life
Featured Indigenous Female Voice
Today’s Indigenous female spotlight is poet, musician, playwright, and author Joy Harjo.
Joy and I spoke in a HEROINE episode called “Poetry & Listening” where we talk about the importance of listening and following your “inner knowing”, and her tips for self-renewal and honoring your creative side.
Here’s what Joy is up to now:
She’s become the first Native American named the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States in 2019
Released a new collection of poetry called An American Sunrise
She is working on her next memoir, which I found out about in listening to her conversation with Cheryl Strayed on the podcast Sugar Calling
You can find more about Joy’s work on joyharjo.com and on Facebook @JoyHarjo.
One Last Thing
P. S. So many of you are saying you love my new book, would you be such a Queen and submit a review online (wherever you purchased) if that’s the case? Reviews really help other women discover the book that way we can have more of us breaking our good girl myths and sharing our gifts. Pay it forward! Screenshot the review & tag me on Instagram for a re-share and call out. Remember, a review doesn’t have to be long, but simply honest and ideally specific.