The vantage point at the first switchback grants a view of the neon sunrise, where oranges and pinks dominate the north-eastern horizon above the Grand Valley floor. Outside of the sound of my breath and pedals, it’s quiet in the early morning stillness. Above me, the canyon walls reflect the sunrise – and the vivid colors defy imagination. The next two switchbacks offer progressive views of the sunrise, each more stunning than the last. How lucky I feel right here, right now, in this wonderful moment, in this gorgeous place, cycling to the destination – Cold Shivers Point on the Colorado National Monument.
(One hour earlier…)
At 5:15 a.m., I’m awakened by noise. I surmise that Biking Buddy is getting ready for that early morning ride we talked about, last night. Ugh… But bed feels so cozy, I say to myself. A part of me just wants to stay snug in this warmth, where I am nice and safe. Maybe I’ll skip this one, I contemplate. I hang out for a while longer, but when I hear the garage door closing, another part of me reminds that I love these early morning rides. My Loves-to-Ride Part goes on: it’s a great workout, you’ll see the sunrise, your day will go better, you’ll be sorry if you don’t go, and finally reminds me that the only hard part is just getting out of bed.
These two parts of me, the Procrastinator Part, and Loves-to-Ride Part, argue back and forth for a few minutes. Sometimes the Procrastinator wins but somehow, today, Loves-to-Ride wins. Mechanically, I leave cozy bed, wash sleep out of eyes, throw on cycling clothes, fill water bottle, and within minutes I find myself drafting Biking Buddy.
Parts Work, also known as Internal Family Systems (IFS), created by Dick Schwartz, helps us focus on specific parts of ourselves assisting us in understanding ourselves better. Many of us have the Procrastinator Part and my Procrastinator Part is working as I write this blog! The Procrastinator would rather look at email, check out Instagram, or see the latest on YouTube.
Parts Work helps me see that procrastination is just one aspect of me but does not define who I am. And this is the beauty of IFS. We all have aspects of ourselves that we disown, ignore, or pretend like is not who we are. We likely have shame associated with some of these parts. The IFS model allows us to see and work with these parts and resolve associated shame or other issues. Dick Schwartz reminds us that there are no “bad” parts in his recent book of the same name, There are No Bad Parts.
We can apply this concept of no bad parts to those around us, too. The bottom line is that parts try to protect us and sometimes they take on extreme roles. Like all parts, they have good intention, but some parts are stuck in trauma time and their strategy might not be working the best for us in the present moment. When we work with these parts, we can update them, and negotiate for a change in strategy. These parts that have taken on extreme roles will begin to relax and this in turn will relax the whole system.
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