This post may sound serious. Don’t take it so. Take it with a light heart and a grain of salt. It’s just a way of thinking about problems that might be helpful.

* * * * * * * * *

Don’t wish you didn’t have any problems.

Why?

Because, if you sincerely and deeply wish you didn’t have any problems you are,….

wishing for death.

Do you want to die? I don’t think so.

What you really want is to love your life experience so much that you are reveling in it, basking in it, delighting in it,… FEELING WONDERFUL about it.

So, now you may ask, “Why is wishing for no problems wishing for death?”

Let me ask you a question: Who are the only persons you know who have no problems at all? Aren’t they all dead?

Don’t wish for no problems. Instead, wish for the wonderful resolution of all your problems.

Or, wish for problems you really enjoy solving.

Isn’t that what Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey have in common? Aren’t they going about attempting to solve problems they LOVE?

You know that they could easily decide never to work another day in their lives, but they don’t choose this. Why not? Because they are thoroughly LOVING dealing with their problems. They love their problems so much that they continue to deal with them, even though they could easily choose NOT to.

So, don’t wish for no problems.

Maybe just wish for the problems you LOVE solving and dealing with.

And maybe wish for the problems you don’t like solving to be handled by others who love solving THOSE problems.

Life is made richer by problems. Without problems you would not have much opportunity to experience joy, delight, awe and wonder, because it is when we work to resolve problems that we experience such feelings and states.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to ALWAYS love your problems. Even Bill and Oprah take vacations and time off from their favorite problems.

Another thought on problems: Some problems we don’t like are unavoidable, or are in our best interests to keep, whether or not they ‘strike our fancy’.

Some problems we have are necessary to us, in order for us to experience life as we really want to experience it. To me, one of these is the problem of painful emotional experience.

To me, this is a problem we really can’t give away and,… if we are truly wise, we wouldn’t want to. Why? Because mastering our emotions is a part of mastering our lives. And mastering our lives is perhaps our greatest source of joy, peace and fulfillment.

Be careful what you wish for.

Just some thoughts.

Happy Sunday all,

Phil

And besides....."within every problem lie's it's solution." Finding those solutions is a very rewarding and satisfying experience which helps to build character. That's what I've discovered.

Much abundance to all,
Tom

thanks for that! was experiencing a really 'crunchy' (stressful) day on saturday but on sunday i somehow leapt into action toward my problems...funny that! just a day ago i was getting all worked up over things and the next day i went and did them with vigor...

even got a parking ticket (for a rental car even!) and told myself (after a couple minutes of cursing) 'this is taken care of'...