The Observation Deck is a place I can go to in my heart and mind that sets me outside my circumstances to gain an objective view of them. For example: My wife walks past me in the kitchen several times without saying anything. My mind tells me, “She is ignoring you; she is mad at you.” Suddenly I feel ignored and defensive.
I now have a choice: either I can go to the Observation Deck or stay in the negative drama. If I choose the drama, I tend to react. I may say to my wife, “What’s wrong with you?” Now I’ve provoked my wife to defensiveness, unless she finds her own Observation Deck.
On the other hand, choosing my Observation Deck allows me to retreat from the drama and assess the moment with a few questions. The Observation Deck is a place of discernment and courage. It is one way I often receive the gift God has for me.
The deck lets me interact with God in real time: God, what is this? Why I am feeling diminished? What lies are coming at me, and what response is my false self trying to deliver?
An excerpt from The Heart of a Warrior Journal Workbook.
