Problems are not "things"

A valued friend and colleague, Andrew Priestley, struck a chord the other day and it's been getting to me since. Andrew pointed to why we often suffer from problems that seem impossible and beyond resolution. 'Problems' that vary from frustrations & obstacles to traumatic & life changing. I've experienced both – more than once. I hope this helps.

There's no such thing as a problem. The critical word being 'thing'.

The diagrams demonstrate 3 critical principles.

# 1.

The first shows that we're far from what we want, without a means of getting there and we attribute the word “problem” to that circumstance. It's a thing. For us, it's that thing causing us issues or perhaps even stress, suffering - to a greater or lesser degree.

A different perspective.

We need to remove or change that problem-thing. “Can't see how. It's impossible. I need help, more resources, others to do their job.” But consider it differently.

The result of change is essentially a journey, short or longer, from the intractable to a re-solution. The hyphenation is deliberate. The solution was there before. Now, with a shift in our perspective, we gain resolution – re-solution. Easier said than done? There are tools . . .

#2.

Firstly consider that there is no problem. Our issue now viewed (#2) as the relationship we presently have with a goal, a target, a milestone. In this metaphor three elements - ourselves, our goal and a relationship between them - are creating what's incorrectly described as the problem, a thing.

#3.

Here, just one change appears to have been made (#3). A shift in perspective apparently transforms my relationship to the goal; reducing the problem. In reality the change is me and as I contribute to the relationship, it seems transformed. For now, consider that the goal also contributes to the relationship, so what can be done? The answer is another question. Who's defining the goal?

I appreciate this is just one, incredibly simplistic, method and also, I've missed out the circumstantial environment (territory) that naturally contributes too. But, linking back to Andrew's pointer, there are many tools at our disposal. They're just lost in all the clutter in our bottom draw and together with the how-to guide . . . you're on your way.