The Category 3 Tool and Other Gems from Phil
Phil shared the following gems of wisdom on Pulling the Thread, a podcast hosted by Elise Loehnen. You can listen to their full conversation below.
It’s Time to Act
The Tools bridge the gap between what you think—your intellectual, cognitive impression of something—and what you're going to do about it. We live in an action-oriented, 21st-century universe, and we’re action-oriented people. Any philosophy or therapy that doesn’t end with an action is not worth your time. Try the Reversal of Desire Tool and read more about strategies to take action: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone.
How to Fight the Avatar of Impossibility
Part X, your inner enemy, is the avatar of impossibility. It works under the radar and often you’re not aware of it. Part X doesn't want you to win; it wants you to lose. It specializes in creating a problem that isn’t really there and offering a solution that makes the situation worse. Once you realize that there’s this force out there that doesn’t like you and is preventing you from moving forward, it can be very freeing. You can drop any feelings of guilt, and use Tools like Fluidity, The Black Sun, or The Mother to counteract Part X.
Life Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
The Tools aren’t about winning. That’s not the goal of the work. They’re about training yourself to be disciplined enough to stay in the process. No one is exonerated from pain or hard work. Don’t waste the opportunity that your challenges give you. Read more on this idea: Your Bad Habits Aren’t the Problem.
Do You Want to Live in Universe One or Universe Two?
There are two universes. In universe one, value is determined by numbers, and money is the arbiter of everything. It thrives on proof, and in that universe people want certainty before they act. In universe two, value is tied to the intangible ability to create. This universe relies on faith. If you have faith, you will take action before you have proof or a guarantee of anything. The universe is moving all the time. If you’re neutral, or waiting for proof, you’re already losing. If you keep yourself in forward motion by taking action, you’re in sync with the universe, which builds confidence. You have to decide which universe you want to be in, and then you have to choose it over and over and over again.
Stop Black-and-White Thinking With the Category 3 Tool
The Category 3 Tool can help you get out of the back-and-forth of black-and-white thinking.
Step 1: Feel whatever strong negative emotion you’re feeling. It might be anger or compulsion or resentment. Make the feeling as extreme as you can, and then erase it.
Step 2: Create the opposite feeling. Even if you don’t feel it as strongly as the negative feeling, just let the opposite part of yourself expand. Then drop it.
Step 3: Toggle back and forth between these two extremes. Let the intensity build between these two poles.
Step 4: As the pressure builds, say the word “open” out loud, and let it interrupt the first two categories, creating a third option.
Abruptly shifting into category three by weaving one and two together can often get you out of thinking and generate a timeless sense of flow, of being in sync with the universe. Use it anytime you feel overwhelmed by a powerful negative emotion.
