self deception

I recently gave a presentation on the Johari Window and how useful it is as a self awareness tool. "You can't just look at areas of your life that you think aren't working. You want to find all the places where you deceive yourself," Debbie Ford. This seems true to me. It is easy and tempting to numb the pain we don't want to look at with drugs, shopping, food, sex, work, blame or withdrawal; but that does not really ease the pain. Many mental health professionals believe that the best way through the pain is to deal with it. Eckhart Tolle, when speaking of the pain body, seems to indicate that one must recognize that pain is trying to get our attention. A good technique suggested by author, Cynthia James, is to ask yourself what you would do and what difference you would make in the world if you felt no pain or fear.