Everyday Life · · 4 min read
The Conversation My Mind Had Already Created
I put off a phone call for nearly a week because of a problem that didn't actually exist.
A customer rang me as I was boarding an international flight at the start of a holiday. It was about three termite inspections I'd completed recently before leaving.
She said she'd contact me when I got back.
But while I was away, my mind occasionally filled in the blanks.
Was there a problem?
Had I missed something?
Was she unhappy with the reports?
I had no idea.
After I got home, nearly a week passed and I still hadn't called her, even though the thought of it had crossed my mind several times.
So I decided to use it as an experiment.
Notice the thoughts.
Don't keep adding to them.
Make the call.
She was happy to hear from me.
There was no complaint.
No problem.
She simply wanted to hear from me that everything was okay because some of the wording and disclaimers in the reports had left her unsure.
Before calling, I also set a simple intention:
Listen and understand what she actually wants.
We had a really good conversation.
I answered her questions, clarified what she wasn't sure about, and we finished the call with everything resolved.
It was another reminder for me:
Sometimes the thing we're avoiding isn't the actual conversation.
It's the conversation our mind has already created before it happens.
Notice it… don't feed it.
Then return to what actually needs doing.