Sentence-completion work is a deceptively simple yet uniquely powerful tool for raising self-understanding, self-esteem, and personal effectiveness. It rests on the premise that all of us have more knowledge than we normally are aware of-more wisdom than we use, more potentials than typically show up in our behavior. Sentence completion is a tool for accessing and activating these "hidden resources." Sentence completion can be used in many ways. Here I will describe a way I find particularly effective. . The essence of this procedure is to write an incomplete sentence, a sentence stem, and to keep adding differe·nt endings-the sole requirement being that each ending be a grammatical completion of the sentence. We want a minimum of six endings. We .should work as rapidly as possible-no pauses to "think," inventing if we get stuck, without worrying if any particular ending is true, reasonable, or significant. Any ending is fine, just keep going. When doing sentence completion this way, we work with a notebook,
typewriter, or computer. (~ acceptable alternative is to do the sentence completions into a tape recorder, in which case you keep repeating the stem into a recorder, each time completing it with a difference ending. You play the work back later to reflect on it.) Sentence-completion work can be used for many different purposes. Some of them will be examined in the course of this book. Right now, how might we use the technique to facilitate the process of learning to live more consciously? First thing in the morning, before proceeding to the day's business, sit down and write the following stem: Living consciously to me mea.ns
Then, as rapidly as possible, without pausing for reflection, write as many endings for that sentence as you can in two or three minutes (never fewer than six, but ten is enough). Do not worry if your endings are literally true, make sense, or are "profound." Write anything, but write something. Then, go on to the next stem: If I bring 5 percent more awareness to my activities today
(Why only 5 percent? Let us proceed in small, nonintimidating, "bitesize chews." Besides, most of the time 5 percent is plenty!) Then: If I pay more attention to how· I deal with people today
Then: If I bring 5 percent more awareness to my most important relationships
Then: If I bring 5 percent more awareness to (fill in a particular problem you are concerned about-for example, your relationship with someone, or a barrier you've hit at work, or your feelings of anxiety or depression)
When you are finished, proceed with your day's business. At the end of the day, as your last task before dinner, do six to ten endings each for the following stems: . When I reflect on how I would feel if I lived more consciously