The Chipping Away Exercise

I’ve been listening to podcasts first thing in the morning when I go to my studio. I usually find something of interest, hit play, and start to paint while I listen. Hayes recently turned me on to one of The Atlantic’s podcasts, How To Talk to People. We’re both always looking for new ways to think about personal growth, and this podcast is one of those kinds. This morning, as I was listening to an episode called “How to not be your own worst enemy” I wrote down an exercise the host so generously gave the listeners — I think this might be a really valuable thing/great tool for developing self-knowledge. I thought I’d reprint it here, with the link to the show as well, and we’d have something to think about that might be a bit out of the ordinary when it comes to these personal sorts of questionnaires. Here goes (and I jotted this down as it was going by —.it may not be verbatim — you can listen and write the list down as you understand it if you want to of course.):

1. Make a list of all the ways you wish you were different.

2. Look at each item and ask:

   1. why do you want each one of these things?

   2. ask “do I like these motives?”

3. Imagine you had all the things on the list — how would they change your life?

4. What would you be willing to give up to get the things?

5. Think about who you really are, and think about who you are without the worldly desires.

6. Chip away the inauthentic parts — the attachments to the desires and declare independence from those things.

7. Do this everyday for a week. Keep track of it.

   1. how does it make you feel

   2. how does it make you act

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   This exercise blew my mind. I’ve been thinking about it all day, but since I had three sessions of therapy today (yep, it just worked our that way), I haven’t yet had time to give it the thought it deserves. However — I’d like to report back next Wednesday. Y’all want to do it with me?

photo courtesy of Hayes Carll

I hope you’re having a glorious week. The weather in Nashville is spectacular, which makes me be okay with not having one extra day in Tulum — everything seems to be right on time and going the way it needs to go at the moment. That doesn’t mean all is roses, but it means that it means. I’m with you in the struggle.

Peace, Love.

Allison

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