Monday, December 31, 2007


this is doug. he told me his story. bless him.

Mental Cleanse: day 4, new year's eve


Esther Schmitt and Isolde Schmitt Mensel, daughter and mother at the New Year's Mental Cleanse for The Work of byron katie.


This thing is a love-fest.  People are doing the work in pairs in the hallways at all hours, appreciation, humor, grief, sadness, anger.  people are dancing in the breaks, massaging, connecting with each others' stories difficulties.

Mental Cleanse: the work of byron katie. day 3


a coupla' participants from boulder:  i, and konstanze

this a.m. I felt so touched by The Work a couple was doing with Katie.
I feel so very grateful to feel infused with love for others, my wish to love others, by watching this couple connect gratefully through telling each other their thoughts and investigating them together.  i feel cracked open.

then in the evening, i did the work with katie and felt armored and angry.  also, i felt love. and was love, with katie and everyone going thru the process with me.  i was seething, quiet in a low quiet rumble in my arms and belly, and i saw lovely eyes in the crowd of people.  here for peace, to understand themselves, wanting to be done with suffering, questioning thoughts meticulously.  one of the points that came up for me: I want to be right at the cost of my happiness.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

The Work with Bryon Katie / The New Year's Mental Cleanse '08



reference avail. at thework.com INVESTIGATING THOUGHTS

hello friends, hello family,
i'm at 3rd day of this wonderful true learning of life magic.
magic, inlcuding my experience of hopelessness, jealousy, fear, appreciation,
humor, sadness, and hope and peace.

I'm in a conference room in a hotel in Los Angeles,
with some 300 people.
i just sent an email to my friend bryn and
realised that i want to share with you all.

randomn notes, what
i hear other people saying
and what i am thinking:

****************
if you’re having a nightmare, you want to wake up.
If you’re having a happy dream, you don’t want to wake up.

I’d rather be happy than enlightened.

‘I don’t understand why anyone would want to be with me or know me.’
katie then shortened the thought to
work with ‘ I need to know why people want to be with you’.
is it true?
can you absolutely know that to be true?
no right or wrong answers, just see how your mind works.
this is not a test. don’t plan the test.
3rd que in The Work: how do you react when you think that thought?
look for the negative reactions to work with, positive thoughts of the thought take care of themselves.
4th question: who would you be without the thought?
first turnaround:
‘I need to know why I want to be with me!’
I love being myself being with my grandchildren. I love teaching children how to read.
I want to be with me loving people and me myself.

I’m incredibly generous with my criticism.
it’s bottomless. anytime, I’m available.
and you won’t owe me anything for my service.
this is the generosity I recognise in my self that is available to start with.

Another word for tired is honest. tired of being phony.

‘my intellect got in the way of my heart.’
your intellect got in the way of your truth.
your mind is the pathway to your heart.

I have to go to work.
is that true? did someone make you do it?
I went to work to leave the hell I was in. I wanted out.
but work is still in the hell mind creates.
‘I’m going to work’ , irritated.
turnaround. ‘I’m going to play’. is that true ?

do the formal Work everyday.
I call it the breakfast of champions.
it’s medicine.
thought: I’m terrorized. 
reply:   you are supporting the terrorists.
I don’t have to be concerned how the money comes in.
my job is love.
do the thing in front of you, and love it.


Tuesday, December 18, 2007

自立の道

子供時代に自立のために色々な事を少し習います。学校で読書と数学みたいなことを習うだけじゃなくて、自分の物をせいりする事やお金の事や掃除する事もあります。遊べる時間は大切です。予定無くて、小さい子供達は暇な時間の使い方を学ぶ事が出来ます。段々自分で通学や旅行が出来るようになった方がいいです。十歳か八歳でも自分で親戚の家庭に休みの時にたずねられたらいいかもしれない。後もちろん両親が愛をみせる事は自立心をつけるのに必要です。

Sunday, December 2, 2007

アメリカで育っていると親が離婚するという事をよく聞いています。
アメリカで離婚率は日本より二倍に近くに来ます。
アメリカをドイツとイギリスとスウェーデンとフランスとくらべても二倍の離婚率があります。それから、元々結婚もしていないで、別けれる親もいます。路離婚に対する理解には色んな意見があります。
伝統的な考え方が弱くなってくると社会で結婚も弱くなってくると言う人がいます。
ある人がお金かセックスか浮気などの問題に理由をつけます。
家族がだんだん親戚と地域社会からはなれているから孤独なっていて親の関係は難しくなるのでしょ。親が離婚する第一の要因は意思疎通の問題とよく聞きます。
ある結婚で離婚した方がいい場合もあります。
私たちの文化が変わっている同じ速さで自分自身を知ってしないと結婚で意思疎通ができなくなります。たぶん自分自身を知る事がアメリカ人にとくに難しいです。