How to delete "text " that is prepended to output of textedit object?

I believe what I want to do is quite simple:
Use the output of a textedit object, but delete the "text" and the space (" ") that seem to be prepended in front of whatever you type into the textedit object.
However I don't seem to be able to figure out what objects or settings to use to accomplish this. Why is the "text " even there? It seems to just get in the way.
But regardless, any help is appreciated!
Nathan