What to Do After You Have Looked at Yourself
After looking at yourself for the first time, you may experience relief, lightness, and a sense that all is well for a period of time. For some people this lasts a few days, for others much longer.
Eventually, old patterns of thought and behavior may begin to reappear. This can sometimes be confusing or discouraging, but it is a normal part of the process.
The important thing to understand is that you do not need to fight these old patterns. They survive only through the attention and energy they receive. Left unattended, they gradually lose their strength.
The Self-Directed Attention Exercise was developed for this reason.
The purpose of the exercise is not to stop thinking, achieve a special state, or become a different person. Its purpose is to help you develop self-reliance by strengthening your ability to direct and focus your attention deliberately.
As this ability develops, it becomes easier to recognize when attention has been captured by old habits of thought and to simply place it elsewhere. In time, this can create a useful space between you and the psychological mechanisms that once seemed to control your life.
If you have completed the Looking and would like guidance in learning this exercise, an interactive instructor is available below.
Further Reading
For a complete explanation of both the Looking and the Self-Directed Attention Exercise, see:
The Just One Look Method – Complete Instructions (PDF Download)