Session 5:  To bring forth the presence of a new realm of possibility for excellence

Date:  Thursday November 11th, 2010

Get aware of the concepts of excellence that you have.  This is merely a complaint. And as they say, you’re always winning the game you are playing. What you focus on — e x p a n d s, so your complaint perpetuates.

People shared on stage:  What do you get out of a racket?  Get the right to be right and you’re winning.  “I can’t stop doing X”.

You have to be able to drop conversations and stop giving power to complaints.

The energy we spend trying to let things go, it doesn’t go – its just another racket for you to not be responsible.  You must have a willingness to let it go in that second. Your points of view of how a racket free life should look like, constrains you.

Our idea of excellence is a story / concept that constraints us and stops possibilities of excellence.

Excellence as a concept is often seen as a dream, a theoretical idea, goal in the future, out of reach…all of these are STORIES. Excellence as a concept exists as a story. This kills off the possibilities of excellence. You must be willing to distinguish your stories and create a space for possibility to arise.

Exercise in class: What would my life look like if my life were excellent? (for 5 minutes, we had to answer this question).  What are the reasons for why my life isn’t excellent?

Look at your story. Why is it a story?  It’s not here and now. Your focus is on how your life SHOULD be, not on how it is now. You see it in others, not in yourself. Not real, not so. It never actually happened – you made it up!

A story is full of assessments, descriptions, generalities, commentaries. None of it actually happened! Problem:  the second you make the story real, you don’t have the power anymore. Look back at the story you wrote down.  Underline in that story whats actually happened.  What are you seeing?  These are all things outside of me. You can make up another story. You live like its real.  Each time you say the story, it reenforces it.  Sharing makes it real. If you let go of the story, you’re left with nothing. The dream has constraints.  We live with a picture of perfection that we will never get to.  Something you’ll never reach.

“The race to get there” invalidates the victories and things we have because we have this view of excellence and if I’m not that, I’m not excellent.

The constraints you have of life.  Letting go having to be “right” – some concept of excellence. Continue giving up your story.