The Distraction Room New — Amy Jacquemard

THE DISTRACTION ROOM

Clue

You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave…

Agitation of the mind or emotions creates fertile ground for disconnection. Dark thoughts and especially resistance to what is true always precede the void of oblivion.

When you are disconnected your mind reflects what you fear, what you resist, and the stories you make up are not necessarily what is actually there. When you are wholly present, you are able to see the truth.

Those who dare to look closely at their own reflection will find the purpose they are seeking. The road may be bumpy, with fear and distraction the biggest barriers to the gates of freedom. First, we must face into these barriers. What are you hiding from?

What did Ellie uncover in the Distraction Room?

The distraction room was all about disconnection and disengagement with life. Ellie discovered her conditioned way of dealing with fear and negative thinking was to escape. There were many forms of escape in the Distraction Room: social media, TV, internet, gambling, alcohol, food, etc. - much like there is in our own day-to-day world.

What was her key out?

Ellie was able to recognize several things within the Distraction Room.

1) First, she had to become aware that she was practicing distraction. Feeling her body, moving, consciously watching her breath, and creating a connection with others are all ways she came back to herself and the present moment. By doing this she was able to regain her ability to be aware of what she was doing, make decisions and take action.

2) She then became aware of what triggered her to seek out distraction. Her thoughts around not being good enough to win the game and the residual negative feelings from being in the Past Room were uncomfortable enough to throw her into the pattern of disconnection and distraction to escape from her own life.

Apply these learnings to your own life:

This is a wonderful tool from the Hendricks Institute (see link below to learn more).

One of the best ways to reclaim you power is to see your unconscious commitments. An unconscious commitment is exactly what it says— a commitment created unconsciously that you developed usually from fear, attention or survival.

1. Think of a behavior that you repeat, a form of distraction or disconnection like Ellie and the gang in the Distraction room.

Example: I drink two to three glasses of wine at night after work. OR I check Facebook and end up spending hours scrolling through pages.

2. Study the behavior to identify the result you are currently creating. Complete the following sentence: “The result I’m producing by doing this behavior is__________”

Examples: “By drinking another glass of wine, I actually become numb and anxious, not more relaxed.” OR “By losing myself on facebook all night, I miss connecting with my friends, family, loved ones.”

3. This result will uncover your unconscious commitment. Complete this sentence and include your phrase. Say it out loud and matter-of-factly until you can feel it in your body: “Today is _____ and I’m committed to _____________.”

Example: “Today is Thursday and I’m committed to losing myself on social media and not connecting with my friends.”

4. Take a few deep breaths and really sit with this unconscious commitment. Ask yourself: Is it true? How often does this occur?

NOW, let’s look at creating a conscious commitment instead!

5. What do you really want with this area of your life? Complete the following sentence:

“What I really want is_________.”

6. Next, complete the following sentence with what you really want and say it out loud until you experience a feeling of positive agreement with your new conscious commitment. You may be surprised to find you have more hesitations with this step than with stating your unconscious commitment. You are creating something new. Give yourself time to shift into this space in a friendly way.

“I commit to____________”

Examples: “I commit to enjoying joyful connection with my friends by FaceTiming with them rather than facebooking by myself." OR “I commit to creating a relaxing environment when I get home from work by giving myself 15 minutes of me-time right away.”

7. Write your new commitment down in a place where you can see it throughout the day.