Carrying the Story

Naming the Story

• Get a piece of paper and a pen.
• Write down thoughts that are coming up as part of the story.
• Keep writing judgments and rules, thoughts about past and future, reasons you give yourself, and beliefs about yourself, others and the world.
• Once you feel complete, turn the page around.
• Imagine the thoughts you have written down as a movie, the story being performed. What would its title be?
• Write the name of the story in big, bold letters on the back of the paper.
• For example, you might experience thoughts, “Get going!” or “Don’t be so lazy.” and call the story “The Slavedriver’s Whip”

Practice Unhooking

• Whenever a thought from the story comes up, notice and name it.
• It’s absolutely normal that the mind produces that thought.
• Say to yourself, “I’m noticing I’m having the thought that…”
• Tell yourself, “Ohh, there is the … story again. Thank you, mind!”
• For example, if you notice the thought “Get at it!”, you’d tell yourself, “Ohh, there is the Slavedriver’s Whip story again. Thank you, mind!”

Carrying the Story

• Fold the page with the thoughts and the story title into a smaller format.
• Put it into your wallet or your cellphone case.
• Carry it with you every day.

• Several times a day, take out the story: unfold the piece of paper.
• Read the thoughts on one side and be willing to feel their impact.
• Practice reading them “I notice I’m having the thought that…” followed by “Ohhh, there is the … story again. Thank you mind.”
• Once this is complete, put the story down again. Fold the piece of paper once more and put it back into its place.
• Keep carrying the story like this for two or three weeks.

Taking Good Care of Yourself

• If the thoughts of the story are too activating for you, ground yourself with practices such as Dropping Anchor.
• Make sure that you are willing to allow the experience that is already there. This is not meant as a distraction or avoidance exercise.
• It is normal that the mind comes up with thoughts of the story; that’s its job.
• The purpose of this practice is to put these thoughts in a new context and to reduce their impact on your life.