In part 8, I promised that we would learn to turn dirt into gold thanks to studying our hot buttons. Since then, without a doubt, we’ve been able to get closer to who we really are. We identified the formative stories that shaped our personality, and excavated the common denominator to ALL the problems in the world – the inseparable companion to our personality – the ego. And yes, in my world, this is gold.
Over the last ten posts, I failed to mention a detail that can be determining in our process of transformation: a hot button is ultimately a thought associated with a bad feeling. Off course, it is engrained and has a tremendous power over us. Still, it’s just a thought woven together with a bad feeling.
Therefore, transforming our hot buttons equals transforming our heavy and distorted thoughts and feelings.
In order to achieve this transformation , first I highly recommend journaling. Writing on paper is like sitting on the cushion when we learn to meditate: we simply need to do it, and it doesn’t harm anyone.
Second, there exists many different techniques to befriend and transform hot buttons: the Learning as Leadership Pinch Sorting, the Work of Byron Katie, the Maxie Maulstby Rational Self-Counseling, or the Carole Lévy 12 Cartoon-Steps described in The Bumpy Road to Collaboration. Each of these techniques is immensely valuable. However, none of them are very new and the trick is to surprise our ego before it gets settled in new and deeper negative patterns.
So I have come up with 5 ways to think differently about our heavy and distorted thoughts and feelings, in order to release them. Here is the first one, but stay tuned: I will reveal all the others over the next weeks!
Hi Carole,
Happy New Year!
I dunno why I haven’t thought of this before, but maybe the “mutual elevation” did it! I think you’d do very well, with your art and thoughts, at zazzle.com. I know you are busy, but once you learn the ropes there, I bet you’d not only enjoy it, but also would get some additional income (which, I know, is NOT the point!).
I’ve been zazzling for a few years now (see http://www.zazzle.com/PizzaRiia*), and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, even with some frustrations. It never feels like work to me – and I get to do it whenever I want, as often as I want. 🙂 And even though in the first year, I made only about 100 euros, it has built up and now I’m making a few thousand a year. Nice supplement for something of a hobby! 🙂
Take care (and happy new year to all others who might read this too),
Riia