Hooked
HOOKED = addicted; fascinated or devoted to something
QUESTION: Are you hooked on something?
Image: Heather Williams, H.W., M.
STORY: We all are hooked to mechanical, automatic, unconscious reactions. The WORK of Gurdjieff and all 4th Way Groups (including The Prosperos School of Ontology) involves the practice of observing ourselves - without judgment - and engaging the practice of tools that help us to unhook ourselves from our ego’s addictive, habitual reactive tendency. WHEW! It's a very important WORK that each one of us must at some point engage and practice. Now, the purpose of this WORK is to gradually open us up to our Higher Capacities. For years I’ve been hooked on believing that “I’m not good enough” to take charge of my life thus my pattern is to let others take charge while I sit back and follow along or complain or get mad. One day I saw this role play out as I observed myself putting down my partner Cindy for being a “bossy” person. We have to remember that what we claim to see out there in other people - is very often what is within us - but we can’t see it in ourselves - without WORK. Check out the next Prosperos Translation Class.
QUOTES
“She goes from one addiction to another. All are ways for her to not feel her feelings.” ~ Ellen Burstyn
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” ~ J.K.Rowling
“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” ~ Carl Jung
“Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain and it's one that we have to treat the way we would any other chronic illness: with skill, with compassion and with urgency.” ~ Vivek Murthy
EXERCISE
STOP.
Sit quietly. Assume an erect posture.
Sense the breath.
Sit calmly and open your mind to understanding that we all have an outer physical self and we all have an inner consciousness self.
Get your pen and paper and write words or draw lines expressing the roles you observe in yourself and in other people.
Move forward into your day with a deep desire to do the WORK to free yourself from ego addiction and open up to your Higher Capacities.