Introspection
(Expressed opinions are personal.)
'Only when this problem leaves me, I will be able to focus on other important things.' Have you ever said this to yourself? If yes, you are mistaken in the belief that the problem will ever leave you for good. Problems do not leave us; we have to leave the problem or learn to live with the problem. Anyone waiting for the problem to disappear and then begin some important enterprise, will never be able to do so because there will be hardly any time when life won't throw any challenges at us. It is on us to face them while striding ahead in our mission. Here is an analysis as to how can we either leave the problem or learn to live with it?
1. Identify the problem: Identify the problem you are facing. If it is related to health, finance, society, family or anything else? Better to note it down at the centre of a blank page. Let the problem be at the center and any hurdle emitting out of it be represented by a line coming out of it. Draw radiating lines from the problem and mention what hurdles it creates in your life. One emitting arrow for one hurdle.
2. Do not allow a problem to create another problem: Once you have identified the problem, limit it. Do not allow it to create a chain reaction in your life. It may happen that a problem may be related to a neighbour but affecting your job performance adversely. Here is a question to ask: Does the problem directly affect your job? If not, then leave the problem back in the neighbourhood while leaving for the office. So, it does not create another problem of poor performance in the job. If the problem is related to health, do not allow it to affect your relationship. If it is related to relationship, keep it separate from career. Thus try to limit its capacity to affect any other aspect of your life.
3. Undermine the problem: I know, it is easier said than done. If the problem was easily resolvable, anyone would have done it in the first stage. But sometimes, we give so much importance to the problem that we overlook alternative and innovative solutions. Every-time we face a situation diverting our attention from main goal of our life, better to undermine it, ignore it as if it doesn't exist. This will allow us to reduce impact of that problem. But this approach has worked many times with many people. It is worth trying.
4. Make it a part of life: Sometimes problems do not go out completely. Some health issues, some irritating relatives, sometimes problems related to co-workers or friends persist and we cannot change the situation. In that condition, it is better to accept it as a part of life and learn to live with it. Many diabetic patients have to do it with regard to their health.
Applying any of these criteria may or may not work! But it is clear that we all face problems in our lives and they hardly get resolved. Therefore, either to limit them, ignore them or learn to live with them are the only possible options.
