“ What? Problems are good for me? No, I don’t need or want any problems, thank you.” This is probably the typical response to this article’s title. But there is plenty of evidence that problems are good for you. Solving life’s difficulties increases our confidence, our courage, and our powers of strategy and efficiency. Problems can be the best things that happen to us, if we tackle them positively and see the advantages that can arise from victory.
Solving problems is what humans do. It’s what we do best. If we didn’t solve problems, we would still be making noises in the trees! Victory over problems equals growth and achievement in life. Life implies growth. In your psychological world, If you are growing you are alive. If you are not growing, you are psychologically dead. Solving problems keeps you mentally alive. By facing and conquering obstacles, your mind grows strong and your character develops.
Difficulties should be viewed as opportunities for growth and achievement. With each victory you grow in wisdom and experience.
It has been said that every problem has it’s solution hidden in it, and benefits come out of the solution. Thinking of this truth, creates enthusiasm for solving problems.
Bring on the problems! Get into the habit of having a positive mental attitude because your success in meeting challenges depends on it.
Many benefits come out of victory over social problems- overcoming social injustice, relieving poverty, better housing, etc.
Conquer the bad attitude of not wanting or avoiding problems.The more problems you have to solve, the more alive you are. Obstacles are a part of life, because everything in our world is in a constant process of change.
To many people, problems mean insecurity. But in reality, the only security you have is in the knowledge that you can handle life’s difficulties in a positive way.
Many people avoid dealing with problems because they fear failure This fear leads to emotional, mental, and physical immobility. But “ failure” in solving a problem is just someone else’s opinion of how it should be solved. There are many ways to solve a problem and many learning experiences connected with the search for a solution. Even if you don’t completely solve a difficulty, you learn just from trying. So even out of so called “ failure”, can come good.
Some people even make money from exploiting people’s problems to some extent. Take some counsellors, for example, who often enjoy their problem involving jobs because it boosts their own egos, self-worthiness, self-importance and sense of superiority at the expense of problem sufferers! Hopefully, they help the sufferer a little, while they get these benefits for themselves.
After having faced problems, and not run away, and come up with solutions full of benefits, you become a person filled with confidence. Secure in the knowledge that you can handle most difficulties that come along in life. This thought inspires and strengthens you. Every victory helps you acquire a sense of fulfilment in your life. So, problems are good for you!
What do you think?
Very deep Dave, I like it. 🙂 As writers we need problems. Even if we can’t always write about what we know, a story needs a conflict or dilemma for it to work properly. When you put it like this I see how many problems, hopefully more smaller than major, we do actually experience and can therefore write about. Plenty of fodder, I think. 🙂
Nice pep talk, Dave. I sure need one right now. The “problem” with problems is that they all tend to pop up at the same time and make me feel overwhelmed. You’re right, though, I always feel a lot better when I start tackling them.
Maybe you should tell us how to deal with problems that one cannot fix! Those are the ones that really make me crazy.
Marla
You make some good points, Dave and, while I agree with a lot of what you say, I’m not sure it’s as universal as you suggest – surely, some problems are good for us, but not just any problems?
The other part where I take exception is your characterising of counsellors as people who exploit each other’s problems … now, I should point out here that I’m not a counsellor, so have no personal act to grind … but this seems very cynical to me. Isn’t it a bit like saying that teachers exploit childrens ignorance, or doctors are exploiting our poor health? Now the logical extension of that seems to me to be that almost anything you do could be characterised as exploitation – perhaps it is, perhaps we were put on this planet to exploit each other to the max, but I don’t really want to believe that.
I may not agree with you on all aspects, but you certainly got me thinking – by the way, I’m not sure you are not exploiting my insomnia as I’m writing this at 2am?! Keep blogging and adding to our ‘problems’.
It’s fun having a balance of problems. Just enough to keep you busy, push you out of your comfort zone and keep you busy. And preferably the right type of problems. And not when you are about to go on holiday or when you are really tired.
I’d rather avoid problems involving money, health, gas pipes and parachutes.