Life and Problems

Every Path Has Puddles and Every Life Has Problems

Life and problems, they seem to go together. Well, that's not always true, for although some people find a problem with every opportunity, others find an opportunity in every problem. But for now, let's call the obstacles, challenges, and difficulties we have to face 'problems.' How should we deal with them? Here are ten tips.

1. Be aware of your problems. Don't live in denial. The problem very often isn't that people can't solve their problems, but that they are unaware of them. Be alert. If you're frustrated, something is blocking your way. Find out what it is and what to do about it.

2. Every problem contains the seeds of its own solution. Seeds represent growth. We need them. And as Norman Vincent Peale (1898 ~ 1993) wrote, "If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds."

3. The easiest way to quash problems is to solve them, so once you are aware of them, don't avoid or try to go around them. Time and effort spent dodging problems is much better spent seeking solutions. Someone who was more familiar with problems than most of us, Helen Keller (1880 ~ 1968), had this to say, "The best way out is always through." So, work through your problems.

4. Rise above your old limited thinking. Examine your problem from a new perspective, for as Albert Einstein (1879 ~ 1955) taught, "Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them."

5. What exactly is your problem? State it clearly and write it down. These two simple steps will bring you closer to a solution.

6. We don't find anything until we look for it. So, start looking for a solution. We always find what we look for, so if you carry out this step, you are guaranteed of success. I'm not suggesting that you will experience instant success. Rather, I'm saying that you should keep looking until you arrive at a solution. In other words, patience and perseverance are also called for.

7. Spend your time wisely. Most of it should be spent on discovering and developing solutions. Be solution-oriented. Spend as little time as possible on problems, and quickly move on to solutions.

8. Don't allow the size of your problems to overwhelm you. The biggest of problems becomes manageable after breaking it down into the small steps that need to be taken.

9. Develop the right attitude by understanding that we don't have any problems; we just have learning experiences and opportunities.

10. Don't see problems where none exist. Use the power of your imagination to find problem solutions; don't use it to imagine problems that don't exist.