When Other People Drive us Insane!

“They’re driving me insane!” - New Podcast Episode from Stockmanship for the Mind

Sometimes other people can really hack us off.

And in farming, where you often live and work alongside the same people day in, day out, disagreements can turn into feuds — and it can be incredibly hard to move past.

When you’re caught up in a disagreement, it can become all-consuming.

It takes up headspace and energy that could otherwise go into running the farm, thinking about the future, exploring new ideas and technology, or keeping up with ever-tightening regulation.

But who are we really fighting in a feud?

It looks like it’s the other person.

The brother.

The dad.

The mother-in-law.

The business partner.

But is it?

What if it’s less clear-cut than that?

Think about a time you’ve felt really angry with someone when they weren’t even there.

You’re going about your day, but suddenly you’re ruminating about that person.

The frustration comes back.

The hurt feelings.

The anger.

Perhaps even hatred.

But if they aren’t there when we’re experiencing all those feelings, how can they be the cause of them?

I’m proposing a different way of looking at it.

What if our own thoughts have a role to play when someone else is “driving us crazy”?

What if, when our mood dips, we become more likely to get caught up in our habitual negative thinking? What if we’re like a magnet for it?

And what if, without even realising it’s happening, we can slip into a state of bad feeling that starts to affect everything around us?

Our relationships.

Our decision-making.

Our ability to see new possibilities.

And ultimately, the whole farm business.

Maybe the person we think we’re fighting isn’t the whole story.

Maybe there’s something else going on — and recognising that could be the first step towards getting unstuck.