To create or experience anything we need space. Internal space is the territory we stake out in our consciousness where we can safely go.
Fear reduces our willingness to know, create, experience, and relate. A catatonic has a very small internal space. People go into the fetal position when terrified, so as to find a space where they can relax and feel safe. Love opens us up to new experiences and expands the space where we feel safe and comfortable.
The Edge exercise creates internal space by allowing us to safely explore our relationship to the body and to other bodies, as well as to the world around us. We learn to choose between Love and Fear. It re-programs the nervous system by taking us to the edge again and again until the fear is gone. It also accelerates the learning by providing some really cool tools to enhance energetic coherence, presence, and engagement.
Today I want to talk about some other great tools for enhancing internal space. These are inspired by Gary Douglas at Access Consciousness, but I’ll give my own spin to them. I have been exploring them recently and am amazed by their power to shift consciousness and to make life more fun.
We objectify people and things in order to make sense of what is going on. Objectification limits things so that we can wrap our minds around them and fit them into a story. This is an essential part of what it is to function as a human being. Our narratives limit us, and that permits us to get on with life.
For instance, it is a limitation that you must drive in the right lane of a two-lane road in the US, but that is a limitation that most of us readily agree to. You briefly enter the left lane to pass that slow truck in front of you, but only when it’s safe. You’re cool with that reduction of space. It becomes part of your story. You don’t want to have to reason out exactly why you’re stuck in the right lane all the time.
However, if you drive in England that limitation could get you into a lot of trouble. They drive on the ‘wrong’ side there, not the right. Your story doesn’t work there. You must open to other possibilities.
If my narrative includes “Boy, am I bad at (math, golf, relationships, finances, etc.),” then that statement has the effect of closing down my internal space. There are things I won’t do or try because I have already decided I will suck. Even if, and sometimes especially if, my evaluation is ‘true’ from a certain perspective, the effect is the same. Who hasn’t played the game “Oh yeah, my life sucks more than yours!” Then we diligently offer ‘proof’ about what losers we are. “See, I told you I’m a failure!” We are ‘right’ by being wrong. Some of us are really good at it. “I’m really an angry person.” “I’m a workaholic.” “I’m just a ‘giver’.” By identifying with the labels we create for ourselves, we close off to other ways of being.
So, here’s one way to open up your space: Instead of an I-It experience of yourself as being a certain way, why not engage the You that is bigger than your limited idea of what you are? Engage the Universe, Spirit, God, your Higher Self, the Oversoul–whatever you consider to be bigger–as your Partner in this Life Adventure, and pose this question to your Partner:
“What else is possible?”
That’s it. Don’t try to answer it. Let your Partner help you. And be prepared for some surprises.
Another question along that line:
“What could be better than this?”
Again, DON’T ANSWER. Let your partner SHOW you! Things get really interesting.
I was trying this our a couple weeks ago. Super Bowl Sunday. I had been looking for a Takamine acoustic-electric guitar for several weeks without much luck. You see, I wanted an $800 guitar for $350. Used. I was fighting my old narrative: “You don’t really NEED it.” “The money could be better spent elsewhere.” Blah, blah, blah. My friend Ted tells me to check out Craig’s List. Sometimes you get lucky. I had resistance to Craig’s List, but figured I’d give it a shot.
“What else is possible?” I battled my inner resistance to finding what I was seeking until I came across the very guitar I was looking for. “Hmm…What could be better than this?” I called the guy. He lives only a mile from me! “What could be better than this?” He said, “If you had called ten minutes ago it wouldn’t have been available. But the other guy said he’s not coming. Yours if you want it.”
What could be better than this? I went to his house right away and the guitar was just what I was looking for. Still my inner narrative fought me. “Really? Is this what you need right now?” “Maybe you just think this is the one you want. There might be a better deal if you look around.” ETC.
What else is possible?
$250 for an $800 guitar! Hard to pass that up!
What could be better than this?
Actually, things got MUCH better. Crazy better! Each time I engaged the Universe as my Partner by asking “What could be better than this?” I was showered with blessings. I will spare you the details, but I was dumbfounded by the unexpected good fortune.
All in one day! When I got up that morning none of this was on the radar. Each step of the way I had to overcome the resistance of my own self-limiting beliefs. But by engaging the Universe with those two questions internal space was created and opened me to new possibilities.
Try it out and let me know how it goes for you.
What could be better than this?
