We want solutions.
The way we are going to get there is by looking at the facts.
What did I eat?
How did I sleep?
How much water did I drink?
Those are the facts. The numbers. The indisputable record on my tracking sheet. I kept meticulous records but now I don’t even want to go back and look at them.
My brain is saying, “Throw in the towel. It was a fluke. Nothing is going to change. You just need to manage your present state.”
My brain is also saying, “You have all the information. It’s not going to hurt to take a closer look. You might learn something valuable.”
The pull is always for the easiest solution (throw in the towel—go back to the status quo.)
But is that really easier?
Live with something that is causing me so much pain or continue to look for answers?
To have hope that the next thing just might work?
Instead of looking at the facts, we tend to create stories.
Migraine Story: I’m doing everything I can. I don’t understand what is happening. I’m getting my sleep. I’m avoiding migraine-triggering foods.
We do the same things with our relationships.
Relationship Story: He always does that. I’m always on my best behavior around him, but he’s always grouchy.
Look at your subjective words: always, never, everything.
No one always does something.
No one does everything they can.
Then look at your behavior. We tend to want to observe the other person’s behavior and put it on trial.
The facts don’t lie. Our stories can be deceiving.
I examined my food journal.
The story I was telling myself is that I didn’t do anything different from March to April.
Yet I didn’t have a migraine in March and I did have one in April.
The facts showed me the truth.
When I look at my food journal for March, I have one food in the restricted column. When I look at my food journal for April, I have 20 items in the restricted column! What?! I had no idea. I thought I was on my best behavior.
The facts don’t lie.
Are you drawing conclusions from the facts or the story you’ve been repeating?
