I wonder what else might be bothering me?

January 22, 2017 3:36 PM

If there’s one
thing I know about myself, it’s that my problem is rarely my problem.

It’s
always a symptom, not a source. What matters more is the thing behind the
thing.

And so, when a substantial challenge surfaces, before I pull out the
whip to start chastising myself, first I challenge
myself to think about what else might be bothering me. Because there’s always
something.

I struggled with stomach problems for years. Symptoms included
bloating, burning and chronic abdominal pain, to name a few. Of course, the
story I was making up was that diet was the problem.

And so, I immediately
vowed to swear off carbs and soda and spicy foods and dairy and meat. Which
helped me feel a little better, and even lose a few founds, but ultimately, my
gastrointestinal issues persisted. For years. My doctors and therapists and
mentors were baffled.

Until one day, I had an epiphany.

Wait a minute, I’m not
lactose intolerant, I’m just a workaholic who’s trapped in a toxic codependent relationship
with a manipulator. I wonder if that has something to do with the
fact that I haven’t had a solid bowel movement in three years.

Who knew? Not
surprisingly, my problem was not my problem. It was the thing behind the thing.
And the moment I confronted and took extreme ownership of that deeper issue, my
stomach issues magically melted away.

Like the very nacho cheese that I
mistaken thought I was allergic to. God I love cheese.

The point is, it’s scary
to face what else might be bothering us. But unless we dig beneath the surface
of our problems and find the root cause, we may never heal fully.

Whatever symptoms you have, grant yourself the grace and space to feel them,
but also give yourself the curiosity and wonderment to sneak behind the curtain
and confront the source.

Whyte said it best in his amazingbookabout corporate poetry:

It is not the thing you fear
that you must deal with, it is the mother of the thing you fear. At three in
the morning, when we are alone, our defenses are down and we cannot sleep, the
huge green hand rises from below and drags us into something hitherto ignored,
deeper and more urgent.

Remember, don’t assume there isn’t a vein of pain until
you’ve rooted around a little bit. After all, your problem is not your problem.

Uncover that which is outside of your immediate awareness and set yourself
free.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Have you challenged yourself to think about what else might be bothering you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com