Have you ever had a problem that you just couldn’t work out? It kept bothering you and you just didn’t know what to do. It felt like the problem was engulfing your thinking and you couldn’t get it out of your mind. You thought constantly about your problem and talked to others about it. You were in pain and were suffering. It felt like your problem was destroying your life.
Finally, you couldn’t take it any more and decided you needed a break, so you sat down to watch your favorite television program. For the next hour or so, you were completely transfixed by what you were watching. Then, when you turned off the television, your problem popped back into your mind and you started worrying again. Does that sound familiar?
Now, I have one question. While you were watching your television program, where did your problem go? It didn’t go anywhere. You made a choice to not be upset about the problem – at that time – because you were thinking about something else. What does that tell you? It tells you that you had a choice as to whether or not to be disturbed. It also clearly showed you that your problem really had no power over you, except the power that you gave it.
When you give a problem the power to disturb you, the problem controls you. By not being willing to allow it to control you – you control the problem and, in short, take back your power. You can learn to control your problems in two ways.
Firstly, you can begin to control a problem by observing it. Albert Einstein once said that you can never solve a problem on the level it was created. In other words, you have to get “above” your problem and you do that – like a scientist would view a problem – through observing it.
Observe your problem without getting your emotions involved. Look at it as an outsider might view it. Ask yourself, “What is the main issue of this problem?” “Why am I disturbed by this?” “Why do I need to feel this way?” See yourself as separate from your problem, because you are.
Remember, your problem is only an experience that you are having – it is not who you are. Understanding this allows you to ask questions such as, “What can I learn about myself from this experience?” or “What can this experience teach me?” The answers will allow you to discover more about yourself and aid you in diminishing not only this problem, but also future problems, as well.
Secondly, oftentimes, through the correct observation of your problem, an amazing thing occurs – you are given an answer via your intuition. Many of the conflicting feelings you have over a problem are due to thinking that you have a choice. You think, “If I do this, this will happen and if I do that, that will happen.” Actually, neither is necessarily correct. There are a lot of outside variables that come into play – with regard to any decision – of which you have no control.
Instead, through observation – unclouded by emotions – your intuition is given access to your conscious mind. Understanding that your intuition is a combination of your past experiences, combined with current information, blended with that Divine Spark – that special something – you need to let it “come through” and then, you need to listen to it.
As the actor Alan Alda once said, “You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful…”
If you’re tired of allowing problems to control your life, try these two steps. Discover the power of being in control of your problems, as opposed to your problems controlling you.
Bob Garner is a funny motivational speaker who actually has something to say. With clients worldwide, Bob is recognized as an entertaining motivational speaker, as well as an author and syndicated writer.
©2011 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use my byline and author resource.
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