45 Problems

There is no problem without a benefit having that problem gives you.
A benefit you would not otherwise give yourself. A benefit ‘forced’ on you, so to speak.
A ‘problem’ is sometimes the only way for you to get that benefit.

A consultant friend would fall ‘sick’ every so often. And, being sick, would take time off. Legitimately. Guilt free. He determined the cycle was 400 hours. The next time he approached the 400 hour mark he took time off. And didn’t fall sick. So he felt guilty. So the next time he kept working. Yep, 410 hours and he fell sick. And ‘had’ to take time off.

Clearly his benefit was to rest, relax etc. And if he had to create a ‘problem’ to get that to happen, so be it!

Another friend split his pants. As a result he sat at his desk the whole day. And got things done from a sitting position. To his surprise he was more efficient and effective that way.

As a personal project, I talk to Heart attack people (for the past 30 years!). Almost every one says the heart attack served to change their life. For the good. They were doing too many wrong things or had a certain bad /non-profitable attitude they changed as a result of this ‘problem’.

A problem is there to give you a benefit you would otherwise not give yourself any other way.

Look for the benefit in your current problem(s) and give yourself the benefit no matter how silly, mundane or self serving it may seem.

Because you think the ‘benefit’ silly or not necessary, is why you have the problem in the first place. Do NOT judge the benefit, just give it to yourself! And the problem — being there simply to give you that benefit — will automatically clear up.

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These are related:

4 Common Courtesy – 6 Feed Yourself – 11 Feedback – 27 Responses – 33 Solving a 5

43 Desire – 46 Always – 62 Context – 75 Same