Problems are inevitable, suffering is a choice."

By Johan Campbell

If you are like most people then the last thing that you want in your life are more problems. In fact you don't want any problems at all, and you wish you could get rid of those you now have.

Well the first thing that you have to understand is that they are only problems because you have chosen to see them that way. Learn to be grateful for the problems that you have because they prove that not only are you alive, but that you are living. Problems only arise when you are experiencing change. The only people that I know of with no problems at all, are all buried.

A problem is merely a situation that you have not experienced before so you do not have an effective strategy to handle it, or it is a situation that you have experienced before but you have not yet developed an effective strategy to handle it, or it is a situation that you have experienced and dealt with before but right now you feel as if you can't or don't want to, handle it.

As you grow through life you will encounter new situations that will offer opportunities for you to grow beyond what you have already achieved. The quality of your life is not determined by how many problems you have. The quality of your life is determined by how you deal with the problems that you have. You always have a choice as to whether your problems overwhelm you or you overcome them.

Your problems can only overwhelm you if you allow them to. They will only overwhelm you if you focus on them and feel sorry for yourself that you have so many problems and that life is so unfair and what have you done to deserve this and…. While you are having this little pity party have you ever noticed how while you are griping about one problem, suddenly you are reminded of another problem and then another and then another until, if you allow it, you suddenly realise that you have so many problems that you will never be able to resolve them all.

The problems that you face will cause you to suffer if you focus on the problem and feel sorry for yourself because you have it. However that same problem will strengthen you if you face it and analyse it. Build within yourself the confidence to solve problems. Believe that every problem has a solution and then look for that solution. If you complain about the problem you are "going down". If you look for the solution you are "growing up".

In any situation that you interpret as a problem you need to ask yourself a few questions. Why do I see this as a problem? What is it causing me to do? Why? What is it stopping me from doing? Why? What is involved in this problem? Why? How? Who is involved with this problem? Why? How? How am I involved in this problem? Why am I involved? What is actually happening? What would I prefer to have? What needs to change? What is in my control?

Once a problem is faced, analysed rationally and understood, it becomes a positive source of energy for growth. In any situation always work out what you can do and then do it. Always do what you can, you can't do more than that. Whatever is out of your control is not worth spending any energy on. Save your energy for what you can do.

The only reason that you have progressed to where you are now in life and you can do the things that you do is because you have managed to overcome problems. Everything that you now do with ease was once a problem because you couldn't do it. So accept that while "Problems are inevitable, suffering is a choice."

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