Living in the Gap
Growing in Ability to Respond rather than React“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
~ Romans 7:15
What does it mean to “Live in the Gap?
In his book, The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle states that 80 – 90 percent of our thinking is repetitive and useless, but because of its negative nature, much of it is also harmful. Another way of looking at this repetitive thinking speaks to what St. Paul said in Romans 7:15, “I do what I do not want to do.” Why do we do this? In one sense it is because until we grow in awareness of what is underneath our behaviors, we are living on autopilot. We are good people who bounce off each other like bumper cars finding ourselves needing to mend relationships time after time because of the way we reacted to a situation.
What exactly is “the Gap?” The “Gap,” is the emotional space (and sometimes it is a very small space) between our beginning to feel distressed, irritated, or anxious and the negative (at times explosive) reaction that follows. The reaction is not intentional, it seems to just happen and it can feel like going over a waterfall of emotion!
Living in the Gap is about growing in our ability to understand ourselves and the reasons we react as if we had no control rather than choosing to intentionally respond as the person we know ourselves to be. It is making choices about how we respond rather than living on autopilot.
As part of this 4-week program, we will explore the work of Fr. Richard Rohr and Fr. Thomas Keating (Programs for happiness) Riso and Hudson (Enneagram and recognizing our Inner Critic), Ira Progoff (Journaling as a reflective practice), and David Richo (understanding triggers and triggering events). Throughout the program, we will explore finding the gap and discuss tools and strategies to live more consciously “in the gap” which strengthens relationships and peace.
This program will be held via Zoom on Thursday evenings beginning in January (January 18th and 25th and February 1st and 8th) from 7:15 – 8:30 p.m. This program will be recorded and anyone who registers will receive the recording.
A donation of $70 is requested. WVIS wants to make its programs available to all who want to attend. Partial scholarships are available by emailing Executive Director Sr. Carole Riley, CDP, Ph.D. at wviscr@aol.com.
Questions: If you have any questions, please get in touch with Ms. Sally Orcutt, O.P. at sally@sayyes2yourlife.org
WVIS is a 501 (c)(3).
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304.345.8206 (fax)
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