Why Fear of Future Rejection Overwhelms HSPs—And How The Work of Byron Katie Helps You Stay Present

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A new, new chapter in my life. Um, she lives in a very, much older neighborhood. Um, and she knows all of her neighbors and she’s friendly. She’s friendly with everybody. She’s just a really friendly, friendly person. And many of the neighbors I’ve gotten to meet over the past few months. Welcome

to Wiggle Room, a podcast where we start with stress and look for ways to turn it around.

And I call it Wiggle Room because inside of us, in every situation, there is always space. There’s always room to maneuver. There’s always ways of experiencing something that is not stressful. Our internal experience is completely up to us once we become aware of it. Of course, when we’re not aware, things just go automatically.

We act in reaction. And there’s nothing you can do about it. But this process of becoming aware of what’s inside, of what space is available there, um, is called the work of Byron Katie. And as you use this process and begin to explore internally, you will start to see options that you never thought you could see before.

That’s the power of this, and that’s why I love it. The podcast is all about the work of Byron Katie, how to relieve stress, and how to experience more freedom on the inside, no matter what’s happening on the outside.

I’m Todd Smith, and on the program today, we will be looking at how to handle worries about the future with the work of Byron Katie. We’ll be talking about rejection and how to handle it, especially for highly sensitive people. And we’ll be also looking at why do we feel guilt? So let’s dive into the work of Byron Katie together.

It’s a simple yet powerful way to question what you think. And here is a recording of our latest weekly open session where I will be doing the work with someone, asking and answering a question, and you’ll get to be a participant. Participant with us as you listen, as always, I share the unedited recording so that you can experience, experience it just the way I did.

So something I got, um, like an activation or trigger or whatever by like a situation that happened where I saw somebody comment something. Um, on a social media platform and it wasn’t, it wasn’t like their comment, it wasn’t that situation, but seeing their name and the comment reminded me of a fear that I have about that person.

Um, so what I, so I was trying to do the work on it and it was hard, um, because it just felt, it just, I don’t know, it just felt like I wasn’t doing it right. What I do the work on the specific. This person commented on Facebook, like, like, that’s the thing that stressed me out. Or do I do it on this fear that something that hasn’t happened but might happen regarding this person and do the fear on that?

Like where am I anchoring myself and what do you, what do you think about that?

Yeah, that’s a great question. Sometimes Like it’s, it’s not just a simple situation, it’s a situation that reminded you of something that, of that person and what could happen possibly in the future with that person. So, I guess, um, you know, I don’t, I’m not sure yet, but let’s explore it a little bit and see if we can find a good angle to, to look at it.

One possibility could be if there was anything, any past experiences with that person that, This situation reminded you of that you’re worried could happen or something similar could happen in the future. You know, like fear is often based on past. And even though the trigger was this, seeing them in that moment on social media, there’s some past history with that person and like, maybe search around in there if there’s any situation that is similar enough to what you’re afraid could happen in the future.

That you might be able to work a past situation, which is much more concrete and easy to work with.

Yeah, that, that’s okay. Very helpful. Yeah,

that makes more sense to me. I have a better idea. Like, giant filing cabinet full of past situations with this person. And I think that’s what maybe my ego didn’t want to go back there because then it’s like, which one do I pick? I have all kinds of evidence of how much this person is unsafe and, you know, so, um, That’s a good, that, yeah, thanks for reminding me into that.

There was definitely a block there.

Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, you can work future situations. They’re a little harder because they haven’t happened yet and it’s kind of hard to tell what, what it is. Another option would be make it the worst case scenario and pretend that’s actually what’s going to happen or what, you know, imagine yourself in the future and work it there.

But I think often for me, the most direct and clearest. Uh, is what happened in the past,

or

there’s also what happened in that situation on social media just now. But I think you said it didn’t really trigger you that much. It’s more like it triggered a future fear, which now we’re sort of seeing could be based in some past, uh, experiences as well.

Yeah.

Yeah. I

think that’s where it can get, it can get more juicy for me. I mean, I did do the work on, uh, I did the judge your neighbor on that exact instant that it showed up for me. And so it just got kind of, it got, it started to kind of fall apart for me on the turnarounds where it was like, I, I’m annoyed with this person cause they made this comment.

But then it was like, no, that’s not what it is. You know? So just my, my mind had a hard time working in anchoring in that one. So that’s, that’s, that’s. Yeah, the past or the worst case scenario future could, I’m going to try that and see how that goes for me.

Yeah, I think, I think there’s a chance you’ll, you’ll step into something solid there, right?

This is what it really is. Uh, because you can trust that if I, if you’re feeling like, ah, this isn’t quite it, like this is, this is a situation, but it’s not really what’s bothering me about it, then keep looking because it probably is something you just have to look. And that’s one place that’s easy to forget to look is in the past.

When your mind is pointing you toward the future, but future is based on past, you know, future fears are based on past, uh, bad experiences, basically.

Thank you. Welcome. Okay. Any other questions or anybody want to do the work?

I would love to do the work. Sure. So it’s Sarah. Debbie. Yeah,

Debbie.

Debbie, you guys definitely go ahead. I’ve been doing it the last couple of sessions. I’d love to hear this has

become like the, the Sarah open sessions. Which has been awesome, by the way. I’ve loved your work, Sarah. It’s been really awesome.

Well, yeah, Debbie, let’s, let’s take a look. What, is there a situation that is up for you or any kind of, um, yeah. Okay. I,

I did a worksheet. I don’t know if, um, if you want me or did I, um, I did a, I did a one hand believe, okay, anyway, um,

and they’re all universal beliefs, right? So my work is everybody’s work. You

got it .

Um, yeah, so there was a, so here’s the situation. I recently moved into my mom’s house, a new, new chapter in my life. Um, she, um, lives in a very much older neighborhood. Um, And she knows all of her neighbors and she’s friendly.

She’s friendly with everybody. She’s just a really friendly, friendly person. And many of the neighbors I’ve gotten to meet over the past few months, and there was one neighbor that was really friendly to me at first, and all of a sudden she just took a left turn and she’s, Um, like she, she, she avoids, you know, um, eye contact.

She doesn’t wave anymore for the life of me to figure out what happened. Um, but, so that’s the situation. I was on my morning walk and although this has happened many times, this one time she just, she literally walked across the other side of the street and like avoid me or that’s my story. She avoided me.

Um, so the belief that I wanted to work on with that was she rejected me.

Okay. So this is like literally using the judge your neighbor worksheet for a neighbor. That’s always kind of fun.

It is.

Okay. So she rejected you when she walked across to the other side of the street. Is

that true?

And can you absolutely know it’s true? She rejected you.

No.

So how do you react in that moment? Okay. I When she’s walking across to the other side of the street and you’re believing that she’s rejecting you or you’re thinking that

she’s rejecting you.

I feel, my face feels hot. I feel my, my lines here, the inquisitive look, they’re just ingraining the lines on my face more. I feel tense. Um,

I wonder what I did to make her be the way or, um,

I, I even, um, in my mind, accuse my mom of saying something to her. Crazy, because she’s not like that. Um,

I, I feel like an outsider in the neighborhood. I feel like, you know, second guessing, what, what am I doing? Why did I do this? This big move? Um, you know, and now I’m here. So I feel trapped a little bit. Um,

I feel hurt. I feel, um, kind of exhausted about, um, not being accepted in a new place and especially such an important place. I’m a little hopeless. I get very judgmental about her, her and her high, mighty horse, whatever.

And do you notice it anywhere in your body when you think this thought, she rejected me or she’s rejecting me?

I

feel a lot of energy right here in my throat area. My face is red. It feels hot.

I feel tense.

I just get very judgmental, very critical. So this, you know, this thing again. Mm hmm.

So how about images? Do you see any images from the past or the future? When you think she rejected you? Or she is rejecting you if you’re standing in the moment. I see a lot of

I see a lot of it, um, uh, I see a lot, I see all the times that she’s, she’s done that she’s turned her head or, or she’s walked across the street or, or she looks down and, and just kind of avoids me coming, um, images in the future.

I see her rallying other neighbors to kind of team up against me.

I feel defensive. I feel like I have to

justify what I’m doing or. Yeah, there’s, there’s something defensive going on there, like I’m, I’m going to have to report to somebody or, or, or the guru for that matter.

And

whose business are you in when you think she’s rejecting you? 100

percent hers. 100 percent hers. Or God’s. I mean, definitely not mine.

So who would you be without the thought?

She’s rejecting you, just in the same situation where she’s walking across the other side of the street.

Who would you

be if you weren’t so

strongly thinking this thought she’s rejecting you?

I’m waving at her, smiling at her.

I am asking her how, how she’s doing. You know, a friendly, a friendly salutation. I guess

I’m definitely

free from the judgment. It’s clearer.

Hmm.

I’m, I’m compassionate. I’m curious,

but not in a judgmental way. Curious, compassionate,

friendly, smiley.

I even hear my voice. Oh, hi. You know, like up an octave, like I would with anybody else that I recognize on the street.

Yeah, definitely more, more my loving self than my judgmental self, my self capitalist. And what do you see

when you look at her? Without this thought that she’s rejecting you, even if you see her many times walking away or looking down And what what do you notice about her? With when you’re not thinking

when you’re focused on she’s rejecting me.

Well, I actually see her I mean just noticing right now that she’s kind of

sad maybe or you know interesting I just also realized that she’s alone. She’s not walking with her husband right now. Um, wow. So I, I, I see her. I’m not caught up in my story about me. I actually see her and it’s, it’s, it’s a different person that I’m seeing right now. She almost looks sad. She’s, um, not walking very quickly.

She’s just kind of slow, you know, I don’t know, almost a totally different person, actually.

Okay,

so the contrast is so interesting, you know, how the thought, she rejected me, just changes how you even see the situation. So how would you turn the thought around? She rejected you, or she’s rejecting you.

She rejected me, she rejected me, uh, uh, she didn’t reject me.

Okay, so when she

walks across the street, how is that possible?

Well, she didn’t, she didn’t say anything. She didn’t reject me.

She didn’t say, get away from me or anything like that. You know, I don’t ever

want to see her again,

but I could think it. No, I’m just, she didn’t say it.

Well, it’s, it’s interesting to see because it’s a little bit of, there’s a looseness in that. Like, okay, it could be that she has rejected me. We’re not ruling that out. Yeah.

Yeah.

But it’s also not for sure because it’s sort of in that ambiguous place.

So she didn’t reject me and she, she, she.

So the fact is she walked across the street now thinking and, you know, thinking about it objectively, it could be anything. I even had the thought when I first moved in. That my mom’s door, ring, camera, whatever, doorbell, um, in my mind it invades other people’s privacies when they walk by. And the thought crossed my mind that she walks across the other side of the street to not be recorded on my mom’s ring doorbell.

So

Right? These are alternative explanations besides she’s rejecting me. Okay. Can you find more like that? Why she might be doing that? May not even have anything to do with you, possibly.

Well, the other thought that I had is, not our house, but the one next door, has a very, um, kind of obnoxious puppy. But it’s, it’s a big dog, so it barks really loud at everything that walks by, so it could be, you know, that she, It could be that she’s walking. I feel like I’m speculating right now, but it is, it is true that it could be because she didn’t want her, her dog to, I mean, there’s, you know what, honestly, there’s a lot of, there are a lot of these, um, the thought just occurred to me that she’s not walking with her husband right now and maybe there’s something going on there and she doesn’t want to talk and I’m a talkative person.

You know, maybe she just doesn’t want to have a conversation with me or, or, Um, you know, you have to confess something or I, I, I don’t know, there, there really could be, there could be anything going on. But what I’m noticing from this turnaround is that she didn’t reject me. It’s just, you know, whatever’s going on in life is going on and it’s, it just wasn’t a rejection.

What’s interesting is that it’s. You know, like you were saying, it’s speculation, but it was speculation to think that she’s rejecting you. So, we’re just balancing one speculation with another, and it’s really helpful to do. That’s what the turnaround provides the space for. Like, oh, yeah, she could be rejecting me, not ruling that out.

But, it could be the doorbell, it could be the video camera, it could be the dog, it could be her husband. Could be, uh, she’s super introverted and just can’t handle someone who talks more. Could be any of these things that doesn’t necessarily mean rejecting you. Right. Yeah.

I really am feeling a pull towards another turnaround, which is I rejected her.

Okay.

Um, and the very first example I have for that is shortly after I moved in, um, we were having a. I have no idea how long it’s been going on, but I noticed it after I moved. And there’s cats in my mom’s yard. My mom doesn’t have any animals. And there’s cat pee and there’s cat poop everywhere, like as if she had 10 cats.

And so I, of course, cleaned it all up, but now I’m like hypervigilant about doing things to make sure that there are no cats. And this lady must have 10 cats and she doesn’t. I made a comment about cat pee or cat poop or whatever in the yard and she kind of said off to the side, Oh, I hope it’s not one of my cats.

And I just, Who knows what I look like when she said that and so I’m sure you know me like my everything’s out in the open So I’m sure I must have had some kind of a look maybe not rejecting her but rejecting her cat

For

coming into the yard.

And if her cats are really close to her some people identify then She could take it personally.

I’m sure So, so I rejected her and that happened before she started averting her gaze. So

interesting. So it’s just the opposite of what you’re thinking, like she’s rejecting you. Like you, from her point of view, you rejected her and she’s just reacting to that believed reject.

Not knowing, not being fully aware that I rejected her.

But I did reject her, I rejected her cats

in

the yard doing their business. Um, that’s one example. Another example is when she turns away or when she looks down, when I’m driving by her, when I’m walking by her, whenever, I’m rejecting her. Like I’m like, with the thought that she’s rejecting me. I am completely rejected, like, I got to a point where I’m not even looking anymore, and I’m not, you know, I’m not waving or anything, I’m just like, she’s not there.

So I’m definitely rejecting her, um, since that first feeling of rejection.

Yeah, right. So it’s interesting how rejection ping pongs off of it off of each other, you know, like she might have thought you’re rejecting her and then maybe she’s rejecting you, who knows, but then you’re rejecting her for rejecting you.

But even before that, even before the, the reciprocating judgment or whatever that is. I think that I rejected her. There was another incident after I moved to shortly after I moved in where I didn’t know the, the rules of bulk garbage pickup. And I was taking stuff out of my mom’s, um, house. Uh, we have bulk pickup once a month where I just came from.

And so I thought, Oh, at the end of the month, I’ll just come by. I just assumed it was the same and it’s not, it’s completely different here in this other city. Um, but I was putting stuff out. And for some strange reason, some random person put some stuff in near her back door. And it wasn’t me. I mean, it’s three houses down and it’s not even anywhere near any of our stuff.

But she accused me and not only accused me, but like, didn’t believe me when I said it wasn’t, it wasn’t our stuff.

And,

um, so that, that made me like reject her, like in my mind, I didn’t come out and say it, but in my mind I was like, you know, you’re not, you’re not believing what I’m saying. What, why would I, why would I walk all the way down there and put this stuff here when I’m just, Clearly, loading this area right here by the garbage can with my, with my stuff.

Why would I, why would I take one thing? So that created like, I don’t know, her, her perceived mistrust in what I was saying, what I was doing made me reject her. So there was that too. So there, there’s several reasons where I have rejected her.

Yeah, these are great examples and they help balance, you know, whether she’s rejecting you or not.

Um, Even if she is, at least you can see the balance of she’s, you’ve been rejecting her too, and, um, and maybe Maybe it’s only you rejecting her, you know? Like, who knows? So that’s the unknown, uh, of the situation. But the turnarounds just help to balance it. So is there another one? Another turnaround?

She’s rejecting me?

Well, you know, the elephant in the room, um, I rejected me.

So when you thought she rejected you, or when she walked across the street, how were you rejecting you?

It’s the same, same story. Different face, different circumstances, you know? Same story. Um, I, you know, immediately went to, you know, what did I do?

What did I do to cause that behavior? Um,

but after this inquiry, I can see that I have done some things to cause that behavior. Um, but yeah, but my, my initial reaction is always, oh, or not what did I do, but what can I do to make her like me? Or what can I do feeling it? Or. Um, for her to not treat me like that, what, what do I need to do?

I rejected me.

I rejected me,

but, you know, my, my normal mo or my comfortable, you know, when myself comes through, I’m smiling and waving and being friendly with neighbors, and I rejected part of me every time she walks by me. Mm-hmm . And that time when she walked across the street, I’m, I’m withholding myself. I’m, I’m withholding my, my true self.

from her and that way I rejected me. And what do you make it mean about you when she walks across the street? Yeah, there’s something wrong with me. There’s more proof that I’m broken or defective or unworthy of her, whatever that is. Attention, maybe?

So that’s you rejecting you,

right? Taking a situation and using it to bolster a story of, I’m not good enough, or something like that.

Yeah. Something wrong.

So, um, did she reject any other turnarounds? Do

you ever do the Yahoo turnarounds?

Yeah, I was just thinking that one, just on this one. Yeah. Mm hmm.

I actually felt some relief, and hey, she rejected me! I don’t have to talk to the cat lady, you know? I don’t have to. It’s fine. The person that doesn’t seem to like me, you know, I don’t have, I don’t have to play.

Right.

Not a bad thing, right? It’s only a bad thing if I think it’s a bad thing, or I want her to like me, I want to be included, those kind of underlying beliefs, but in reality, it’s like, okay, you got rejected if she did reject you and no, no big deal, right? It depends on how you look at it. Any other advantages of not, of being rejected by her, if that’s actually the case.

Well, there is one thing, um, and this is such, you know, another story, but she appears to be the neighborhood, you know, Mrs. Kravitz, or I don’t know if anybody else will know what that reference is, but, um, the, the, the gossip of the neighborhood, um, Mrs. Kravitz was the lady that watched on Bewitched, a little sitcom from the seventies, and she knew everything about everyone.

This, this woman seems to have that position in this neighborhood. So it would be a good thing that she rejects me because she’s not listening to all my whatever and spreading it around the neighborhood.

Yeah. You may have been spared there.

No, maybe, no, maybe there, although there’s not a whole lot of drama in my life these days, but.

So

what this does is just, again, balances the picture. If she. Rejects you, then great. You don’t have to, you’re not being exposed in that way or whatever. If she doesn’t reject you, it might’ve changed back and she stops rejecting you or starts liking you, then that’s also good. So like, you know, you’re flexible, there’s benefit either way you go.

And that’s, you know, it’s

funny you say that because when I went on my morning walk today, um, she nodded at me. Wow. Yeah. And it was interesting.

Hell, my reaction was different. Like it wasn’t like, Oh my gosh, I’ve been waiting for you to, you know, it was like, Oh, okay. You know, today she smiled or today she nodded, you know? And so it’s not, you know, a hundred percent in time. My, my burning question is feel like I can now, like we’re out of the work and I’m starting a story, but, um, okay.

I feel like I might be projecting. This rejection on to people that I don’t care for, and then I go into this. She rejected me, even though I can’t, I don’t like the idea of being a victim. I say that and I feel like I keep going there. Like something about me is holding onto this story of being a victim.

And it, and it creeps up on me. And so like, I’ll reject her. Like in this case, I reject her just. Feel bad about being rejected by somebody instead of like owning that I’m the one that’s rejecting her

Yeah, so what? What do you get for doing that? Like that’s a painful thing to do yourself, but there’s must be some Egoic payoff there or something that that’s that’s It’s easier to do that than something else, or just, I don’t know.

Okay,

it’s easier to do that than to come out and say, I don’t like you. Ah, yeah. You’re, you’re, you’re not fitting into my, you know, whatever, expectations or whatever. Wow.

So there’s something in there about accountability, which is hysterical to me because that’s a big, Judgment I have about other people.

Funny how it works.

Isn’t it?

How it’s, you know, I’m getting that little tingly in my nose right now. I’m onto something here. Oh my gosh.

Yeah. So it’s interesting the convolutions we have to go through when, when we’re trying to not do something that, that we, that we. I don’t know, would naturally do, and I don’t, I’m not saying there’s a right or wrong way of doing things here, but it’s just interesting to see how the mind would pick a circuitous path, and then end up being a victim as a result of it.

Which brings Shane. Which, you know, brings the whole, um, an image just came up to me of a mirror. I should say the mirror. And I always remember her saying, we, you know, our brains have it right. They’re just backwards. They’re just backwards. So she rejected me is always going to be a variation of the opposite of that, but why do I keep going there?

And it’s almost like, um, ammunition. In a way against me to get in that, you know, lazy boy chair of feeling reject doesn’t make any sense.

It’s, I like the way you say that lazy boy chair. It’s like the quote unquote easy way out, but it’s not easy because it’s involves me being rejected and it feels terrible, but

it’s familiar,

familiar, right?

And I don’t have to have any courage to just be honest and I don’t take any responsibility for my own. Experience, uh, my own happiness, I’m, I’m just, it’s all their fault and I can just keep pointing and then, oh, I’m terrible too. And it just goes into a big vicious circle, but it’s just the opposite of where the turnarounds always point us, which is back to taking responsibility and, um, bypassing that whole,

that whole vicious cycle.

Cool. Well, thanks, Debbie. Thank you, Todd. Yeah. That was incredible. Well, that was really, um, Really eye opening. I, I don’t know what living turnaround, I can choose there were a few of them in there, but I’m gonna sit in that.

I love how a simple situation like this, someone walking across to the other side of the street, And then the interpretation that she’s rejecting me, how working that one simple little thing, it’s, uh, it’s so profound, at the same time so relatable.

Thank you for your work.

If you would like to participate in open sessions like the one we heard just now, then go to the workasmeditation. com, go to the open sessions page, and there you can see the upcoming schedule, and you can join in, and I’d love to have you. Be with us. You can do the work with us. You can just sit and listen.

You can ask questions, and there’s just seven people per session, so join us, and I think you’ll enjoy it. And while you’re there, also check out private sessions, uh, at theworkasmeditation. com, where you can work one on one with me privately anytime.

Next, I’m going to read one of my newsletter articles called, Why Do We Feel Guilt?

I stayed in this house one night, and I’m talking about a picture in the newsletter that I’m reading here. I stayed in this house, and I promised the owner some photos that I never delivered. I was a photographer at the time, and I, I never delivered those. Do you ever feel guilty? It comes up from time to time for me, and it often brings me back to doing the work.

But how do you do the work with guilt? It’s kind of a strange emotion. Not like anger, where it’s usually easy to find the stressful thoughts to question. Guilt is a bit more covert. Here’s what I notice about guilt. Underlying my feeling of guilt is often the belief that I need or want someone’s approval.

Not getting their approval can lead to guilt or anger. I feel anger if I’m not getting their approval because of something they are doing. For example, if they’re not being fair or they’re being impossible to please. But I feel guilty when I think it’s something I’m doing that is preventing me from getting their approval.

For example, if I’m not doing something that they want me to do. Instead of owning, I don’t really want to do it, I opt for guilt. Feeling guilty is a way of holding on to both my conflicting desires. The desire for their approval. and the desire to stay in my integrity. By feeling guilty, I don’t have to choose.

Guilt shows me my desire for approval. And not just my desire for approval, but often a desire for approval that goes against my integrity. For example, I took the photo above of this little house on a hill covered with flowers back in 2009. I was photographing the balsam root flowers that spring in Washington state.

While wandering the hills, I came across this house, and I asked for permission to park there and to photograph on their property. They were very generous and allowed me, and they invited me to stay overnight so that I could get up early in the morning when the light was good. I was grateful, and I accepted, and I got some great photos the next day.

On leaving, I promised them a photo. But the problem was that I offered, That I offered because I thought I should. My offer was not 100 percent sincere. Yes, I was grateful, sincerely, to them, but I was also in the middle of moving, starting a new job, and dealing with a lot of competition for my time. I was promising them something that I wasn’t in a position to deliver easily.

But instead of not offering it, I acted out of guilt. I did what I thought I should do, and I felt guilty. Guilty, first of all, for leaving my integrity in the first place, and then guilty for not delivering what I said I would. Over the months and years after that, despite my guilt, or maybe because of it, I could never, uh, bring myself to make good on my promise.

To this day, I’ve never sent them a photo that I promised. And of course, I conveniently lost their name and address after some time, making it even harder. So here comes the work. Here are some thoughts I can question. I want them to think I’m very grateful, like I’m a very grateful person. I want them to like my photography.

I want them to remember me glowingly. Without these thoughts, all of which have to do with getting their approval, I could have stayed in my integrity and not offered any more than I could at the time. And I remember now, I also didn’t have much money. So, creating an extra print, which I was going to make a large print for them, that would have cost me at a time when, uh, I was having some difficulty financially.

So, it’s never too late. I plan to question these thoughts. I may even write a judge your neighbor worksheet on them in the moment when I was promising these things. And I may also question some other guilty beliefs that I have come, uh, that have come up since then. Like, I have to make good on a promise.

If I don’t deliver the photos, they will be disappointed at me. Um, it’s funny how I haven’t even done the work on it, but I’ve already starting to feel lighter. And I know if I question some of these thoughts related to the guilt, who knows what I may do. I may even drive out to their place and deliver them a CD with all my photos from that shoot.

Not because I want their approval, but only if it feels like my integrity to do so. My work will help me find my truth. and open the options for me to take. So we’ll end with a quote from Byron Katie’s book, I Need Your Love, Is It True? The irony is that the struggle to win love and approval makes it very difficult to experience them.

Chronic approval seekers don’t realize that they are loved and supported, not because of, but despite their efforts. And the more strenuously they seek, the less likely they are to notice.

So thanks for listening, and be sure to subscribe to this podcast, share it with a friend, post something on social media, or leave a review for it. And stop by the work as meditation. com to get my newsletter, and to participate in open sessions like the one you heard today. and to participate in the courses that I offer like the Work 101 and my ongoing Inquiry Circle group.

So thanks for listening, and I hope you have a great rest of your day, and we’ll talk to you next time.