Work From Within
From:
rebecca
71 days 6 hours 53 minutes ago
Have you ever gotten a bad feeling when you entered your office or showed up for an interview? Did you honor that feeling as a message that something was off? You may be surprised at how often we ignore the wisdom within ourselves and rationalize our way of doing things. In his most recent book,
Blink, Malcolm Gladwell cites case studies and research that show how accurate the “gut” or “intuition” can be for making conclusions about something. So how do you learn to pay attention and successfully “listen to your heart” or “trust the gut” while also using your head?
Susan Bernstein, a career and life coach, suggests that building awareness of our body wisdom is the key to stronger intuition as well as the path to finding happiness in our lives and in our work. Bernstein has a unique way of working with clients. Using a step-by-step approach, she teaches people how to tune in to the messages that come from within. Over time, clients learn to take action from the core of their being, rather than from a set of preconceived notions or external expectations. Her practice is called Work From Within.
According to Bernstein, “most of us work from ‘without,’ or outside ourselves. When we have an issue or challenge, we tend to think we need to check with experts or gurus to find out what they think.” In Bernstein’s practice clients learn how to use “the wisdom below the neck to keep us present, centered, and inspired.”
Why from the neck down? Most of us constantly rely on our heads and fail to acknowledge there’s literally a whole body of knowledge—right here and right now—that we can depend on. This knowledge can lead you to a life that is consistent with who you really are. It means that you can more accurately pursue your dreams and live each day feeling happy that you’re on the right track, rather than feeling like a zombie or operating with a sense of dread.
How is it done? First, by your paying close attention to your inner experience. Bernstein might instruct you to sit or lie still for a moment and remember a time that you felt very peaceful and happy. What were the sensations in your body? Alternatively, sit quietly in the same stillness and recognize the sensations that occur—perhaps a gripping feeling or tightness of breath—when you recollect a traumatic or fearful memory.
Like most spiritual teachings, it’s all about awareness. Spiritual sages say that you can travel a million miles, but the greatest journey and all the knowledge you need is within you. “Working from within” is a journey of awareness. It is not about quick fixes. The key is to listen to the body and its guidance—because you are the expert or guru of your own self.
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Rebecca Bogle
