Whiskey Glasses

I’m a need some whiskey glasses 'Cause I don't wanna see the truth – Morgan Wallen

In light of recent developments in the press with Country Singer Morgan Wallen and Marilyn Manson who I worked with at Interscope Records, I wanted to address the wearing of “Whiskey Glasses.” You know those times where you see things that you don’t want to see and choose not to acknowledge, look away from and pretend it didn’t happen, hide from it, or ignore all together. Interestingly enough, or NOT, both these guys have gotten messages that their behavior was unacceptable. Yet, because there wasn’t immense social backlash until now, they continued. This article isn’t really about them, but more about the message. Do you have to wait until your life comes crashing down, you lose your livelihood and all your important relationships in order to face your shit and make the shift?? Do you have to hit rock bottom?

Where in your life are you wearing whiskey glasses? You can tell because these topics cause resistance or even pain. You know - the fear of opening your bank statement, or a bill because you are buried in debt and living beyond your means. The fear of getting on the scale because although you are on a diet, you sabotaged yourself and ate pizza and chips all week. The broken promises you made to yourself that you’ll wait until Friday to have a drink, but man that Tuesday meeting was brutal and wine wipes it away. The avoidance of a heart to heart conversation you must address with your significant other, but wait for a “better” time to have it. Ignoring that sharp pain in your stomach and pummeling yourself with Tums and pain relievers instead. Pretending you don’t hear that rattling sound your car makes when you start it. The project you know will catapult your new business into the stratosphere, but you are still living in “imposter syndrome” and maybe tomorrow you’ll have the courage to finish it. Avoiding it only makes it worse. It’s like seeing that a pot on the stove is on fire, and deciding to go out for a walk. Surely it will put itself out while I am gone – right? Did you ever notice whenever you have problems in life, you’re always there??

Facing situations that cause pain and anguish are never easy, but sometimes they provide us with the greatest growth. Here are a few strategies that may garner a more positive outcome than the ones Morgan Wallen or Marilyn Manson are currently facing.

Awareness – Recognizing that you are in discomfort is a signal that you are out of alignment. Just like that rattling noise in the car – something in the system is off. It’s a message, a red flag, it’s telling you something needs attention. Once you are aware, you cannot be unaware.

Interpretations - What are 7 different interpretations I can make of this situation? Oftentimes we interpret situations or events based on past history. How can you take off the proverbial “whiskey glasses” and see the situation from a different perspective? Is there a solution I am not seeing?

Action - Putting things off until later may give you temporary relief, but it creates the opposite long term effect . It’s like growing mold…left unattended it spreads like wildfire. Get out of your head and spring into action. What steps can I take to create forward momentum? It may not be resolved overnight, but baby steps in the right direction gain far better results than avoidance or procrastination.

Seek Support – If you are feeling paralyzed and overwhelmed, seek support from a friend who’s overcome similar issues, or use the services of a professional. Sometimes the advice from a neutral third party is just the ticket you needed towards freedom.

This may sound trite, but consider this – what happened and it couldn’t have happened any other way or it would have. Things always get resolved, and hopefully you see the silver lining that it provided in the process. I hope this has served you as it has for me. After all, it’s always an inside-Project

“We avoid the truth, when we do not want to acknowledge our contribution to it” - Zach Slobin