Phil Stutz is a world-renowned psychotherapist who has worked with some of the top film stars, athletes, and CEO’s in the world.
Early in his career, he became frustrated by a tendency in therapy to only listen to people’s suffering without ever giving them something immediate to help. This led to the development of a unique set of tools he gives his clients to practice. The goal is to break free from the barriers surrounding what he’s deemed the three inevitable(s) of life: uncertainty, fear, and constant work. On the other side of acceptance of these three unavoidable circumstances are the endless possibilities we never thought achievable. One tool, in particular, struck home with me on the subject of pain. On a daily, sometimes hourly, basis we avoid pain. The result? Regret. These can be little pains or big pains, but the result is always the same. Whether it be breaking a fast we believed in just 12 hours ago, or succumbing to the snooze alarm, regret becomes the surface emotional outcome. Many, however, have found the greatest rewards in life on the other side of pain. Take David Goggins, for instance; het went from morbidly obese to the world’s greatest endurance athlete. Or think about Search for Meaning author Victor Frankl, who survived the Nazi’s death camps to write one of the greatest books of all time. Pain=Growth and Endless Possibilities How can you use Phil Stutz’s tool? Start with a mindset that you aren’t going to allow for any exceptions to the rule. You are going to have faith that if you push through the pain, you will find something far greater on the other side of it.
Then say these three phrases as you visualize the steps in the graphic above. 1. SAY “BRING IT ON!” AS YOU LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE This may sound silly, but verbalizing has a 10x effect on outcome. Next time you encounter pain because it’s cold and your bed is warm or the pantry is calling your name, say “bring it on” with authority as you avoid the comfort. (Don’t worry--you can say it aloud in your head) 2. SAY “I LOVE PAIN!!” AS YOU ENTER THE CLOUD As we leave our comfort zone, we are going to immediately be hit with a bunch of exceptions and excuses that will attempt to draw us back to our baseline. Reaffirm your desire not to quit and say, “I LOVE PAIN!!”. Facing and embracing this pain as a challenge while affirming our desire will get us through the cloud that is blinding our judgement. 3. SAY "PAIN SETS ME FREE!" Lastly, once you’ve succeeded, reaffirm what you have just done by saying, “PAIN SETS ME FREE!” Over time, by doing this, we make a new association in our mind with pain being a positive thing instead of a negative. In the film Stutz, Phil Stutz goes through this practice with Jonah Hill as they discuss his 40lb transformation from the self-destructive version of himself seen in Superbad to the slim and trim confident character played in 21 Jump Street. Next time you encounter something outside your comfort zone, try this tool! Say the three phrases as you picture leaving your comfort zone, blasting through the cloud of pain, and ending up on a new side of things where the possibilities are endless. Do you want a definite time and place to practice this new skill? We offer a class called KILL THE CALORIES! Try it for your next workout!