In his book, “Charging the Human Battery,” Mac Anderson noted that someone once asked Norman Vincent Peale, “Don’t you think life would be better if we had fewer problems?” Peale said, “I’ll be happy to take you to Woodlawn Cemetery because the only people I know who don’t have any problems are dead.” The point is we can’t avoid problems, so we might as well expect them and embrace them as opportunities to learn and grow.
Problems are nothing but opportunities in disguise. Always ask yourself:
“What is the learning opportunity here?”
“What changes do I need to put into place?”
“How has working through this problem made me stronger?” — as a colleague, as a leader, as a manager, as a parent, as a friend, etc.
Consider right now the things in your life that you currently refer to as “problems.” Write them down …. then challenge yourself to note the learning or growth opportunity with respect to each problem. In what way will dealing with this particular problem make you a better person — how will you ultimately benefit? Allow those “benefits” to bring renewed energy to creatively solving the problem. Be grateful for the learning opportunity and move on.
Going forward, replace the negative energy that you formerly associated with problems with positive energy. This simple paradigm shift is transformational to your growth, to your personal development, and to your peace of mind.
Best to you!
Andy Robinson, Executive Coach
239-285-5575
Andy@AndyRobinson.Coach
"Helping CEO's and executives maximize their influence and impact."