The reality is that we are deceived that we are having the felling of relaxation, when we give talk about obstacles, difficulties, scarcity and unavoidability. How can we overcome the unfavorable condition just wrapping even a little uneasy situation with the shawl of problem? This is the reason why we rush towards the hospital of solution being suffered from tension and anxiety. When we are not able to find solutions to our problems frustration steps in. The frustration pushes the level of hunger, thirst, sleep, happiness, fun and many other life giving forces very far from us. Thus, there occurs draught of such life giving and nurturing forces in the life. This is the result of ‘problem’, we love to speak more.
The word problem cannot be defined in a single word. However, we are using the word ‘problem’ to refer the situation we find unfavorable. We never think of managing the unfavorable situation in a fruitful way but prefer to dive ourselves into the ocean of anxiety. How can we stand on the ground of favorable condition in this way? Therefore, ‘problem’ is not the problem but it is the outcome of our failure we get due to the lack of our capacity to manage the unfavorable condition.
We can transform the pain, frustration and anxiety into an opportunity for success without bearing any cost. For this one must change one’s mind attitude and thinking. The problem is not the problem it is chance, opportunity and time. You may not believe on how ‘problem’ can be ‘opportunity’ and ‘time’. Change your way of thinking, way of observation, way of perception and your attitude and then apply this in your own life. You will see a miracle; you will be waiting for the “problem” to welcome it.
A very small example can make it clear. Let us imagine that your right hand is fractured and you can do nothing with this hand. As a habit we say we have a problem. You have a problem with eating and doing daily activities. Now you will be disappointed being unable to work as you could and used to do. If you are like the average person this problem gives you pain more in your heart and in mind than in your hand. You will be thinking about what loss you have to bear due to this problem. The more you penetrate into the loss and problem, the more you find you are going to be ruined. The fractured hand may be back in condition within a few months but the sadness, discontent, dissatisfaction; you get during the period of recovery, changes into cancer for your courage, strength, wishes and so on. This results in frustration and when it is continued it can change one’s way of thinking that one can do nothing in the life. Thus, a small fracture that can be well within 2/3 months can make the precious life handicapped forever.
The same condition can be observed and understood from another angle. The hand is fractured and it’s bad, no doubt. An unwanted and unexpected incident happened. If you swim in the pond of worry every time in the condition, can you regain the past happiness? Definitely, you will not be able to work as before, you have to face some difficulties, you get pain and your daily routine can be disturbed. You will never get well and get rid or the difficulty if you blame your luck and live with the stick of misfortune. In addition to the treatment in hospital you have to think over about ‘what you can do something different’ when you can not do the regular activities. You may not be able to eat, write, and do other daily activities with your broken hand. Is there anything you can do in this condition? This is what you have to think and find out.
Loosing an opportunity does not mean that all other opportunities are closed. The best way to live happily in the condition of difficulty is to look for the alternative opportunity. When you can not work with your right hand you can always try with your left hand. It can be a great opportunity for you to practice working with the other hand. This is how the new opportunities, chances and alternatives can be found. Once you find the new alternative, chance, or opportunity you feel delighted and forget the pain. The so-called misfortune can be turn into blessing.
It is not hard task to find the new opportunity in the difficulty. The only thing you have to do is to change the way of thinking. The opportunities, chances, and alternatives are always there in front of us. Bill Gates is supposed to be a successful man because he could see the alternatives in the existing society, business field; Mahatma Gandhi could find the same thing. The biographies of the successful people are the proof that he who finds the alternatives is always paid off. Change the thoughts from the way you are thinking now and see what ‘can be done’ instead of ‘what should be’. The handless, legless and eyeless people are also famous in the world because they did not stick with the problem; rather they thought, looked for, found and moved on the new alternatives.
You can start thinking ‘I can do’ in place of ‘I can’t’. You will get find new energy, hope, readiness and positive thought. Negative thoughts in the life are replaced with the positive ones.
Now, turn back and see the problems you used to say. Are there any problems now? No, there are opportunities instead. The rough road is the opportunity to make it concrete one, dispute in the family is the opportunity for peace and poverty is the opportunity to be rich. The undeveloped villages that used to be seen as a problem are full of opportunity. All developed countries in the world were less developed than Nepal in the past. Development is possible where there is not development. It’s up to you to find the way to materialize the opportunities.
Only an empty pot can be filled with water and only the hungry stomach can be filled with food. A ‘problem’ is not a ‘problem’ but is rather‘emptiness’, the emptiness to be filled with something better. Once, a problem is seen as opportunity we should start acting accordingly. Until and unless one changes ‘attitude’ from problem to ‘opportunity’, no progress is possible. Successful people never wait to see the problem. They find the alternatives and start acting.
Start from very small problems you face in your daily activities. Practice analyzing the ‘problem’ in a positive way. Try finding ‘what is good’ instead ‘what is bad’. Do not hesitate to appreciate the good things and activities happening around you. Try to find ‘good’ even in your enemies. Find the ‘best’ in others and praise them, create friendly behaviors. Keep in mind that there is always something good in every person, place, thing and incident no matter how bad they might be. Find them and appreciate them and you will be appreciated in return. Once again you have to change your ‘attitude’ first. You will find the world the same as you see it. So dig out success in your future and something new in the so-called ‘problem’. You need not be worried about the life and success. Happiness, hope, strength, joy roll down around your feet. Is the problem, really a’ problem’ or is it an ‘opportunity’?
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