Teach A Cat To Bark
We Suffer Every Time We Believe A Thought That Argues With What Is
If you want reality to be different than it is, you might as well try to teach a cat to bark
Teach A Cat To Bark
You suffer every time you believe a thought that argues with what is.
When your mind is perfectly clear, what is, is what you want.
If you want reality to be different than it is, you might as well try to teach a cat to bark.
You can try and try, and in the end the cat will look up at you and say, “Meow.”
Wanting reality to be different than it is - is hopeless.
And yet, if you pay attention, you’ll notice that you think thoughts like this dozens of times a day:
- “People should be kinder.”
- “Children should be well-behaved.”
- “My husband (or wife) should agree with me.”
- “I should be thinner (or prettier or more successful).”
These thoughts are ways of wanting reality to be different than it is.
If you think that this sounds depressing, you’re right.
Much of the stress that you feel is caused by arguing with what is.
Resistance
Reality is what is true. The truth is whatever is in front of you right now.
For example, whether you like it or not, it’s snowing now. “It shouldn’t be snowing” is just a thought.
In reality, there is no such thing as a “should” or a “shouldn’t”.
These are only judgements - thoughts - that we project onto reality.
Remove the judgements and you can see reality as it is, and this leaves you free to act with clarity and effectiveness.
In a previous article in this series I wrote about The Transformative Power Of Acceptance which is a mindfulness practice that I use and that is based around deep acceptance of how things are right NOW in this present moment.
This practice involves consciously exercising deep and intense acceptance of the feelings that are present in the moment – especially all resistance, negativity and fear about accepting what is present.
Through increased mindfulness practice, you will discover that you are almost continuously in varying degrees of resistance to something. I know and accept that I am.
The 4 Questions
Here is another approach to the same practice – but this time coming at it from a cognitive perspective.
Take one specific aspect of your current reality that you are resistant to.
Undertake a personal internal enquiry with the following 4 simple questions:
This process is known as “The Work” and was created by Byron Katie, and it is free.
Here are the full instructions.
This is a simple practice.
I use it, and in my experience it is powerful, and I commend it to you.
Further Reading On Acceptance:
The Transforming Power Of Acceptance
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