I’m thinking about how we choose our problems. My problems are me-shaped, I’m well-equipped to address them. Consistent attention given to my genuine skills and interests solves my problems. What luck!
This morning I met at a park with a friend and her young sons. She was well-equipped to meet the needs of her fussy child, and she showed no resistance to that obligation. She was the right person to take the right actions to solve the problem before her. Just as she intentionally made choices in life in order to receive the problem of handling a fussy child, I think we all choose our problems in life.
Could it be any other way? I am not good at roller skating, and that’s not a problem! I made choices in life such that my well-being is in no way threatened by my woeful skating ability. More severe and permanent facets of like terminal illnesses are also not a problem because there is nothing to be done in those circumstances. What makes a problem a problem is its solvability. And so what remains are situations that I do have some ability to address through action. If I can take a particular set of actions, any problem before me is diminished.
Another thread here is that we can act in order to prevent potential problems from arising, or being as severe as they might have been otherwise. A problem that never arose is as good as a problem solved. It’s worthwhile to think ahead on a regular basis, but without the fear or anxiety that can accompany thoughts about the future.
In the problem solving utility belt, broad skills are more useful than specific skills. Knowing how to have an engaging conversation with someone you just met solves more problems than knowing how to carve a whistle from a piece of wood.
Improving a skill from good to great is easier than improving a skill from bad to good - progress begets progress.
I loved reading The Four Agreements, short and persuasive and inspirational 😊