Understanding Our Inner Family System (IFS)
Intention: Develop educational software based on the transformational wisdom of IFS, LB/RB, and the "est training", co-created with the shared wisdom of Claude.ai and Anthropic.com to share via the world wide web: https://EmpathyMatters.org/intro
• Online exercises to identify and practice dialogue through the lens of IFS.
• Develop Self awareness capable of discerning and releasing unconscious beliefs about life.
• Practice Self reflections that reveal patterns and open possibilities for shared peace.
• Practice Self awareness that creates space between thoughts/feelings and identity.
You are welcome to participate anonymously — no need to share your name or email. This is for your own Self-awareness. As you move through the contemplative questions, allow your Self to be relaxed and present with each reflection. There are no right or wrong answers — the real purpose is Self-Awareness. Take your time, breathe slowly, and be open to seeing your Self in a new light.
Take a moment to sit quietly.
Notice your thoughts as they arise. Ask yourself: Who is observing these thoughts?
Observe the distinction between your thoughts, and the gentle awareness that notices them.
The key is to understand that thoughts are content, while awareness is the capacity to notice that content, without being carried away by it.
Awareness is the observer, while thoughts are what's being observed.
By cultivating awareness, you can begin to gently un-blend from the content of your thoughts and gain a more objective perspective. This can help you to manage your thoughts more effectively and reduce emotional reactivity.
Awareness is the fundamental capacity to perceive and notice what is happening in the present moment, including thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Awareness is not about judging or evaluating thoughts, but simply noticing them as they arise and pass.
When you become gently and calmly aware of thoughts, you can create a sense of "un-blending" between your true Self, the observer, and the thoughts, which are the observed.
Identify three distinct "parts" of yourself that show up in your daily life
(e.g., The Achiever, The Critic, The Caretaker).
For each part: What does this part want for you?
What is it afraid might happen if it didn't perform its role?
How old were you when this part first appeared?
Describe a situation where you felt completely stuck between conflicting desires or needs.
Now, complete this sentence:
"What's true, even though I don't want it to be true, is...
Think of an aspect of yourself that you typically hide, suppress, or feel ashamed of.
If this exiled part could speak freely:
What would it say it needs most from you?
What memory or experience is it still carrying for you?
What might become possible if you fully welcomed this part?
Recall a recent situation where you reacted automatically.
Now imagine inserting a pause between the trigger and your response:
What sensations would you notice in your body?
What beliefs were operating in that moment?
What choice might become available in that space?
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. ~Viktor E. Frankl
Complete these sentences without censoring yourself:
"I am responsible for...
"I am not responsible for...
"The story I've been telling myself is...
"What's actually true is...
"What I'm ready to let go of is...
Imagine waking up tomorrow having integrated all parts of yourself in perfect harmony:
How would you move through your day differently?
What would you stop doing?
What would become effortless?
What new possibilities would open up for you?
After completing all questions, sit quietly for 2-3 minutes.
Notice any shifts in your perception, emotions, or physical sensations.
What feels different now compared to when you started this journey?
Based on what you've discovered, what is one small action you commit to taking in the next 24 hours that honors this new awareness? Consider revisiting this survey in 30 days to notice how your responses evolve over time.
...::" I used to think that top global environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address these problems, but I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy, and to deal with these we need a spiritual and cultural transformation. And we scientists dont know how to do that." ~Gus Speth