213. How to Get to the Root of Your Problems: Mastering Your Emotions and Mindset

The Impossible Life

Ever feel overwhelmed and you don’t know why?
Or find yourself reacting way too strongly to something small—like a casual comment, a minor setback, or an unexpected bill? You're not broken.
You're just not getting to the root of the problem.
And today on The Impossible Life Shortcast, Nick Surface walks you through a powerful, repeatable process to identify, disarm, and reframe the emotions that keep sabotaging your peace, focus, and purpose.
🔎 In This Shortcast, You’ll Learn:

• Why your heart is a follower, not a leader—and what Jeremiah 17:9 says about trusting your emotions
• How to spot a disproportionate emotional response and what it reveals
• Why most of your problems aren’t about what happened—they’re about what you believe about what happened
• How to rewire your subconscious by asking better questions
• The critical importance of meditation, self-awareness, and emotional honesty
• The mindset shift that turns your setbacks into sentences, not chapters

💥 Key Quote: “Just because it feels real doesn’t mean it’s true. Your heart can lie to you—but God never will.” 🧠 Step-by-Step Framework to Get to the Root:

1. Awareness – Notice when an emotion feels too big for the moment
2. Name It – Be specific: mad, scared, overwhelmed, rejected, etc.
3. Ask Why – Get honest. Your subconscious is always giving you clues.
4. Challenge the Belief – What would have to be true for this emotion to make sense?
5. Zoom Out – Decide: Is this a sentence or a chapter in your story?

✅ Real-Life Examples:

• When Nick blew it: Buying a car, receiving unsolicited advice, and letting emotion take over
• When Nick nailed it: A home repair disaster, rising stress, and choosing truth over reaction

🔑 Final Takeaway: Most men don’t need more strength. They need more strategy.
The power to lead your emotions, reframe your thinking, and obey truth is already inside you—it just needs to be activated.
So before you let stress write your next chapter, ask yourself:
Is this really worth it—or is it just a sentence I need to edit and move on?
📖 Scripture Reference:
Jeremiah 17:9-10 – “The heart is deceitful above all things... I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind...”