At least in my internet bubble, you hear the term “do the work” thrown around a lot. What does it even mean?
It can mean a lot of things, from 7 years of psychotherapy, to having difficult conversations and incorporating new ideas, to reading Byron Katie, to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. I think all forms of “doing the work” boil down to the same concept:
Stop living in distraction, and sit in discomfort to get closer to the truth
If you’re going through your daily life distracted and numbed out by social media, video games, interpersonal drama, or booze, consider dropping your distraction crutches for a period of time, and give yourself space to sit in stillness and silence. Very likely, some form of discomfort might bubble up. Rather than immediately reaching for your phone, a drink, food, or a codependent relationship to airlift you out of the discomfort, consider sitting right there, in the middle of the fire. Get curious about it, explore it, listen, and lean into that growth edge. Chances are, when you emerge, you will have gotten closer to some truth. It may be something you can put into words, or it may simply be a subtle shift in your body.
You’re doing the work. Now simply rinse and repeat for the rest of your life 🙂 This is just my definition. How do you define “do the work”? I would love to be corrected!
