Problems stink, right? They make us frustrated. They make us angry. They drive us to distraction. So it’s natural to think of them as our adversaries. But why is that? Why do we take our problems and personify them? Well, frankly it’s just natural. People who consistently rankle us are not especially our friends, are they? So naturally, problems that cause these same feelings to arise are also our enemies.
So now, when we run up against even the smallest problem in our lives, we are in the habit of dealing with it as we would an unwelcome person. We ignore it. We struggle with it. We fight it. And if it doesn’t respond to these tactics, we get down on ourselves and wonder what kind of miserable human being would invite such a problem into their lives.
But here’s another thought: Why not make friends with your problems? If you are going to personify your problems, anyway, why not make them into friends instead of your enemies? (continued below . . . )
It may seem like a ridiculous proposition, but think of it this way. A problem is something in need of our attention. If we push it away, it will just come back. If we wrestle it, it will just get stronger. If we fight with it, it will just dig in. And if we consider ourselves the kind of poor specimen of humanity that invites problems . . . well . . . you know the rest.
How do we treat our friends when they are in need. We listen to them. We ask them how we can help turn things around. We look for opportunities to spend time. We enjoy helping them turn things around. How much easier would it be to deal with our problems if we were to take on this attitude.
Give it a try. Don’t pick your biggest problem. Start small. What about that filing system that needs attending? Or the socks that need to be paired. Or . . . yes . . . even the dust bunnies.
Be buddies with your dust bunnies: “Hey guys, how did you find your way under the bed again? Come on, let’s get you out of there. I have a better place for you to be . . . Let me introduce you to my pal, the trash can.”
