SOLVING YOUR PROBLEMS CAN BE CHALLENGING

SOLVING YOUR PROBLEMS CAN BE CHALLENGING

& FUN

You're reading the words of a person who has been through more

catastrophes in her lifetime than most people experience in 5! This is

not to say that there are other people who have lived through bad

times also, but everyone should learn the benefits of problems!

Problems help you to find and follow alternate methods, which may

lead you to bigger and better things. If the typewriter ribbon breaks in

the middle of a report that's due in 30 minutes, the boss may

understand the situation is not your fault and grant you extra time to

complete it. This extra time may be what you need to take off the

pressure and help you relax to do a better job.

Problems are also the first step in a new invention. Dr. Scholl's foot

medications would not be around if people had not had problems with

corns, calluses and other ailments. We wouldn't have automobiles

today if people had not had problems getting from place to place

quickly. Every single invention was created because people had

problems with something, so problems can really be motivational!

Problems also help you to meet new friends. If you are recently

divorced, you may join a group and meet some wonderful friends that

will bring you into a better life than the life you were living previously. If

you have a problem getting back and forth to work, you may decide to

join a carpool and save money while meeting others.

Problems also are always a learning experience. You don't actually

realize that fire burns until you get burned with it! Unless a problem

occurs, you do not learn why something happens the way it does. You

cannot change your viewpoints and opinions unless you experience

problems first hand.

Problems also cause you to become active in helping others. The

organization M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) would have

never been born if the founder didn't lose her daughter in a car

accident caused by a drunk driver. That one death has literally

changed all the drunk driving laws throughout the United States and

saved MILLIONS of lives!

Without problems, we couldn't solve a lot of future turmoils and save

people a lot of money in business. Any company that introduces a new

product will hire people to try it out before it is introduced to the

market. These people report the problems they find and the company

refines it until it's right. Without problems developing early in these

tests, the company could never improve and fine tune their product to

perfection.

Problems and mistakes are also a blessing in disguise. For instance,

Post-It(R) Notes would never have been made possible unless the guy

at the factory didn't mess up mixing the glue recipe. Sure, this is an

isolated incident, but it shows just how important mistakes and

problems can be.

However, most people have some perceived notion that making a

mistake or having a problem is "bad." Instead of looking for ways to

SOLVE the problem, they try and live with it, cover it up and conform

their life to accept it.

This is silly! There is no problem that can't be solved. There is a

solution to every single problem you can think of. The solution may not

always be what you want it to be but it's a solution just the same.

And covering it up is like putting a piece of foil over a piece of spoiled

meat and expecting it not to draw maggots. You have to dispose of

the entire thing before you are finally rid of the problem. Attack the

core of the problem! Dig until you uncover it! Face facts! Admit you

have problems!

Stop trying to make people think you are problem-free. It's unnatural!

Where the recognition comes in from people you are trying to impress

is when you SOLVE problems by facing them and inventing a solution.

So, next time you have a problem, look at it logically and with

enthusiasm. That may sound a little strange but most problems can be

dealt with this way. Love the fact that you have problems because they

will give you something to work on and solve. They also will give you a

way to invent new ways of doing something _ new ways that will save

you time and make you happier with your life. And when you solve

problems, you not only gain experience in solving other problems as

they occur, but you build respect for yourself. Then you can have the

admiration of all those people you originally started out trying to

impress and gain recognition from if you still care about having it.

You also will find that when you look at problems with a POSITIVE

mind, you will accomplish more, relieve stress and combat fear _

which is the worst enemy and destroyer of all!