In April 1912, the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind a devastating wake of tragedy. We all know how it sank. It struck an iceberg which tore a large hole in the hull of the boat. From the captain’s perspective, as the iceberg was approaching, it didn’t seem too much trouble based on what was above sea level. However, the devastation happened because of what was lurking beneath the surface.
I mentioned in last week’s blog my visit to the dentist. Well, are you ready for part two? My appointment was on a Friday, and I had another booking for the following Friday to come back and get my teeth cleaned, and to look at some options for the tooth that had a hole in it. Well, things escalated a little bit quicker than I had imagined. On Monday last week, as I went to take a bite out of a slice of orange, that particular tooth broke off. Yes, it came out of my head, out of my mouth, and I was looking at it in my hand with a stunned expression on my face.
After I realised this was not a fantasy or a dream – as I have dreamt about losing teeth – I called the dentist. I made an appointment for about an hour later, put my tooth in a bag, and headed off to the dentist to get it fixed. The dentist, a different one than had seen me the week before, took one look, and said, ‘it doesn’t look good’. After another X-ray, he explained that there was nothing he could do with this tooth. The root had a nerve issue and was, in his words, ‘eating itself’. The tooth that had broken off was not the problem, it became weakened and brittle because of what was happening beneath the surface.
Okay, okay, no more tooth stories! I promise. The point is, what is happening visibly, in many areas of life, which may be hard to understand, is always because of what is happening beneath the surface. We live in a society where we want fast results, easy options, and quick-fix solutions. You probably know that fast results rarely last, easy options are really not easy, and quick-fix solutions are no solutions at all. The simple answer is to look beneath the surface.
I’m not sure if you are like me, but, in my life, I have judged people and even been jealous of people. I have judged people because of their cranky moods, their poor behavior, and the choices they have made. At no time, in my past, did I try to understand what was happening beneath the surface in their lives. I know for myself, if I am ever cranky, and believe it or not, it happens, it is always because of something in my life that is wearing me down. Do you know what I’m saying? I mentioned I have also been jealous of people who have done things I haven’t, and I have even considered them lucky. Shame on me. The truth is that beneath the surface of their achievements was the right thinking, great habits, courage, and persistence.
My message is this, if you want to experience more joy, meaning, and abundance in your life, look and work beneath the surface. To get on with people and create deeper more meaningful relationships, ask questions and get beneath the surface to understand their behaviours. To create positive change in your life, dive deep and work on building the right foundations that lie beneath the surface. For me, those foundations are self-love, self-belief, compassion, empathy, faith, willingness to act even when I don’t feel like it, with a strong focus on what I want. The things that will show up in my life are always the result of what I invest time in to develop beneath the surface.
I have two amazing podcasts this week to help focus on what is beneath the surface. I speak with Bijoy John in a podcast called Sleep now, in which we discuss how sleep is one of the things beneath the surface that will impact every area of your life. Susan Snow and I have an incredible conversation in the podcast called One question. In it we discuss the power of asking the right questions to really get to the heart of the matter, often residing beneath the surface. I would encourage you to listen to both podcasts.
You may be wondering about the outcome of my missing tooth adventure. Then again, maybe not. I am going to tell you anyway. It is still a work in progress, and I am exploring replacement tooth options. For now, I have been blessed with a charming toothless grin and a reminder that everything in life is very much determined by what is going on beneath the surface.