“Flense?” he said. “What is flense?”
“It’s what whalers used to do to whale carcasses when they got them on board,” I said. “They would strip off the skin and blubber and meat right down to the skeleton. I do that in my head to people – get rid of the meat so I can see nothing but their souls. Then I forgive them.”
From “Bluebeard” by Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut’s description of flense reminds me of Byron Katie’s The Work. Except we’re doing it to ourselves. Truth seeking. My beautiful friend Caitlin is offering a tele course in The Work at Work this fall:
The Work, as a process of self inquiry – offers a powerful and effective practice to help you skillfully and compassionately engage with your own thinking and beliefs as a place to open, grow and learn, even under highly challenging circumstance. Practice in this kind of presence is not a luxury – it is a crucial part of being able to best serve others and ourselves, and bring the best of who we are to the work we are offering into the world.
Consider joining her for some inquiry, some flensing, where you move through the stuck-ness and access your open mind and heart to greater possibility.