CHANGE THE CHANNEL
AN OBSERVER EXERCISE
Your life has characters. Plot twists. Recurring storylines. Cliffhangers. Old seasons.
Characters who should probably have been written out years ago.
But today you are not here to judge the show.
YOU ARE HERE TO WATCH IT.
You cannot consciously change a pattern you haven’t noticed you’re watching.
VIEWING HISTORY- episodes that we binge watched.
Not television. Patterns. Different cast….Same plot??
Who owns this station? Where did this programming originate?
Family? Childhood? Culture? Relationships? Trauma? Social conditioning? Your own previous conclusions?
JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE RECEIVED THE SIGNAL DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO KEEP BROADCASTING IT.
You don’t have to feel differently, to choose differently.
THE OBSERVER CHANNEL BROADCASTS- Possibility AND Choice
“What else could be true? What matters to me here? What is within my influence? What is one action I can take from this perspective?
PAUSE THE SHOW. FEEL YOUR FEET. YOU’RE HERE IN THIS ROOM. NOW LOOK AT THE SCENE AGAIN. WHAT WOULD A CAMERA RECORD AND WHAT HAS THE NARRATOR ADDED?
Today’s episode is………..
Give today’s episode a title. And I mean this.
“everybody needs something from me”
“waiting for permission”
“the one where I overthink everything”
“why am i still having this argument?”
“plot twist: she finally said no.”
Is there a channel on repeat?
Who handed you the remote?
The important question is:
Do you still want to watch this episode?
Now choose a GENRE:
Drama/Comedy/Romance/Mystery/Survival/Adventure/Horror/Documentary/Other
PREVIOUSLY ON MY LIFE:
What happened leading into today’s episode?
CURRENT PLOT:
What is actually happening right now-without interpretation?
MEET THE CAST:
Characters: ………………….
Role I have assigned them: ………………
What they actually did: ……………..
What I believe it means: …………………..
WHO’S NARRATING THE EPISODE?
The observer? The inner child? The protector? The critic? Fear? Scarcity? The people pleaser? The Ego? The Higher self?
IF THE OBSERVER NARRATED EXACTLY THE SAME SCENE, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY?
YOUR CHANNEL GUIDE.
WHAT CHANNEL ARE YOU WATCHING?
Channel: FEAR- Everything becomes evidence something bad is coming.
Channel: SCARCITY- There isn’t enough.
Channel: REJECTION- Everything becomes evidence I’m unwanted.
Channel: CONTROL- If I can manage everything, I will be safe.
Channel: CONDITIONING- I should. I am supposed to. What will people think?
Channel: POSSIBILITY- What else could this mean?
Channel: SELF TRUST- What do I know?
Channel: LOVE- What changes when I respond rathe than protect?
Your remote could be family, culture, past relationships, a painful experience, or an old version of yourself.
YOUR REMOTE BUTTONS:
PAUSE- stop reacting.
REWIND- where have I seen this pattern before?
MUTE- what happens when I quiet the narrator?
VOLUME +- what deserves more of my attention?
VOLUME - -what am I feeding unnecessarily?
CHANNEL + - show me another perspective.
POWER- I am allowed to disengage completely.
THE CHOOSE BUTTON- what would you really like? Be honest.
THE NEXT EPISODE…….If today’s behaviour is writing tomorrow’s episode……..
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IF NOTHING CHANGES?
WHAT HAPPENS IF I CHANGE THE CHANNEL??
Tomorrow’s episode will be called……
CHANNEL 01- FEAR- “What if everything goes wrong?” What is the narrator predicting? This is a pre-conceived IDEA. What is ACTUALLY happening now? What might this protective voice need?
CHANNEL 02- CONDITIONING- “This is what I am supposed to do.” Whose expectations are directing this episode? Which rules still fit, and which have never been questioned?
CHANNEL 09- SELF-TRUST- “What do I actually want?” You have heard from everyone else, now let’s here from you. If you didn’t have to earn approval or explain your preference, what would you choose? What is one choice you can make without abandoning yourself?
CHANNEL 12- CREATION- “What happens if I choose differently?” You have noticed the storyline. Now you get to participate in what happens next? Maybe a conversation? A boundary? Something you begin, or even stop doing? You don’t have the rewrite the entire season tonight. Choose one action that gives the next episode a different opening.
THIS IS NOT THE SEASON FINALE.
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
