The Spiritual Self Schema (3-S) Development Program

if the obstacle emerges unexpectedly, how, in retrospect, you did, or did
not, successfully transform it). As in Phase 2, become an actor who is
taking on the role of someone walking your Spiritual path who can
transform these obstacles into opportunities for Spiritual development.
For example, when an encounter with a certain individual gives rise to
feelings of dislike, impatience, or anger, you might try to view this
person as someone who helps you to become mindful of your automatic
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that cause you to veer off your
Spiritual path and onto a path that leads to distress. Remind yourself
that by doing this you are not attempting to change that person in any
way, nor are you judging the rightness or wrongness of your feelings
concerning this person; rather, you are taking back your power over
your own being, and are thereby preventing yourself from mindlessly
activating an old self-schema while in this person's company. Continue
in this way each day transforming perceived obstacles until you are able
to prevent yourself from inadvertently, mindlessly, swerving off your
personal Spiritual path.
c) While actively engaged in transforming perceived obstacles,
continue your practice of stopping 3 times daily to become aware
of what self-schema is currently activated and the extent to which
that self-schema is compatible with the experience and expression
of your Spiritual nature. Enter this information on your Self-
Schema Check-In log. Refer to this log frequently; it will provide
you with important feedback as to the usefulness of your warning
signals, cognitive scripts, and behavioral action sequences, and
provide you with the opportunity to make appropriate
modifications to them. Do this each day, gradually increasing the
number of "obstacles" you can transform.
d) Continue also your practice of daily meditation, increasing the
amount of time as appropriate to your skill level.
Step 2: Assessment of progress: To what extent has your
Spiritual self-schema become your habitual self-schema?
Now that you have constructed and practiced using your
Spiritual self-schema in all your daily activities, even those that you
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