AWESOME, Simon!! Thank you so much for adding this!!
I was teaching this 4-steps "Go General" on the old Forum on several hundred pages
...Abe indeed spoke about it much more and longer than "a few times".
I found it INCREDIBLY helpful!
My tips are:
IN THE SPECIFIC NEGATIVES
This is a fantastically helpful step! ...Empty out your heart in really letting it all out. DO NOT HOLD BACK: Write pages, if you feel like it.
Most people hesitate at first to do so, because they don't want to be negative. But fact is, you are where you are, and you ARE already in the negatives. So, embrace that. Really BE SPECIFIC until you feel "sick and TIRED" of the issue. A bit like, letting the wound blood clean. You will notice that the "speed" that you have at the beginning will slow down, eventually. Looking at things so very- and deliberately- specific is strangely soothing!
When you feel "empty" of all that bothers you in this case, it indeed feels cleansed, tired and naturally not good any longer to prolong, because it is all out, now. And then...
GO GENERALLY NEGATIVE.
Which means, (this is Abes advice, and I found it SO useful!) to "wrap it up" in writing 3, not more than 4
emotions with which you describe all this unwanted specifics. That's it!
As: "I'm p*." "I am so sad." "I feel helpless, and disempowered"- whatever it is. 4 emotions are enough in my experience!
Doing so feels as if you would close up this negativity. It feels satisfying, and as if you would end the negative focus. Then, imagine to turn around and write...
....
GENERAL POSITIVES.
Be very SLOW, in the beginning! Let your emotions guide you: You just have "turned the train around". Be gentle with yourself! Find your own footing... you are in a new land now! State in emotional terms what you would WANT to feel, instead of the general negatives. "I want to be joyful again. I want to feel hope, again. I want to have fun again!..." ...whatever comes to mind, and feels authentic to you. Now is also the time to write an emotional Grid. Let it flow naturally. Repeat
emotional words that -authentically feel good and maybe even better and better, but do NOT push that. Example: "Ease. Ease. Sweetness. Ease. Peace. Peace. Peace. Peace. Freedom. Happy. Happy. Happy. Goodness..." Do that for AT LEAST 1 minute, until you really feel it. Now, your real "work" here is done.
Don't skip this step! Many of my students left this out, because admitting to- and embracing the negatives soothed them so much already. But going generally positive
until you FEEL it, is the reward for all the pain that was before! Don't go without plucking it! And then, feel if you are ready for- and WANT to go...
...
SPECIFICALLY POSITIVE
If you really (!!) feel like it, now go into the details of what you want, or what you know to be good and wanted, about this topic.
WARNING: When you have been boldly negative about it, so far, doing so might be much too much. Only You can feel what is right for you! When the positive specifics call you and you feel like wild horses can't hold you back from them, do them and enjoy having your wings back to fly!! But if you'r not there, if you are tired, if you "should" push yourself there- then it would be detrimental to do so. It would be trying too hard. In this case, just let it go, and be soooo proud about what you achieved in the other 3 segments!
Your work IS complete, even if you leave this one out!