I'm so pleased with myself when I let my Gremlin get a hold of me big time. Now if you're wondering why in the world I would be pleased with this, the reason is simple - it's because of you! My Gremlin issues ultimately awaken my Genie giving me the opportunity to serve you in this blog and that makes me really happy. Plus, it's a good reminder that no matter how much we work to silence the Gremlin, the fact remains, we're human and that bugger is always looking for ways to sneak in and take control.
Here's what happened:
What could have been a wave turned into a tsunami during a phone conversation with my son because I thought he wasn't telling me the truth in regard to a question I asked him. I let the conversation move on only to find myself frustrated because I couldn't free my mind of the answer he gave me. So instead of stopping the conversation and gently asking for more clarity, I chose not to make waves and decided to keep my mouth shut. Big mistake.
Right after we hung up Gertrude (my Gremlin) went into one whopper of a story about him, about me, about us and before I knew it I was at my computer sending off a short email that basically said; I can handle anything you throw at me except a lie. So give it to me straight!
Gertrude was very proud of me for finally taking charge!
Within 10 minutes the phone rings and it's my son. He is not happy with me and asked what I was talking about. I explained my frustration and then he went off for 5 minutes in a very annoyed tone giving me a run down of his entire week to prove he told me the truth. My Gremlin was growing stronger by the second and when he was done I had a few choice words of my own - then silence. With tears running down my face, realizing he didn't lie to me, I said, "Oh my God! I've turned a wave into a tsunami and this whole thing could have been avoided if I had just asked the first time we spoke.
"Yes, Mom. And since we both hate this kind of drama please just talk to me right away when something's bugging you - we'll work it out more easily." I hate it when my own teachings come back to me from my kid! Actually, it's quite fantastic.
When there's a situation brewing with someone in your life, if you think about it honestly, how often do you turn a wave into a tsunami? And, how would it improve your relationships if you were willing to speak up even if a little wave was created?
It's true, we never know how people are going to respond but it's critical to speak your concerns before your Gremlin turns them into some cockamamie story. I promise you this; it's a whole lot easier to move through the wave than the tsunami.
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