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Today's
Meditation:
I've
always thought that if it weren't for problems, most of us
wouldn't have jobs. I find problems to be
invigorating because they force me to think in ways that I
normally don't think, and to come up with solutions that I
otherwise wouldn't have explored. They ask me to do
something different, to act differently, to try new
things.
Of
course, I'm not talking about the unjustified and annoying
and damaging problems that other people often cause us,
nor am I talking about serious emotional or relationship
problems. While those can also prove to be
eventually beneficial to us in the ways that we choose to
address them, they're often very destructive and can cause
a lot of long-term damage, and they can hardly be called
"invigorating." Perhaps they're too deep
for the simple word "problem," and they belong
in another category.
For
the most part, though-- especially in this day and age--
the
majority of the problems that we face are rather
benign. They tend to be things that we won't even
remember six months from now, yet we very often amplify
them in our minds so that they seem to be of
earth-shattering importance right now. It would be
helpful if we were to take a step back and consider our
problems from a fresh perspective, see them from a bit of
a distance, and then figure out how we're going to address
them in ways that will help us to grow and learn as well
as spread love, peace, and compassion.
If we
can do this, our problems are much less likely to become
overwhelming and unmanageable. Problems are a part
of life, and we can accept them and deal with them
effectively or allow them to make us miserable. When
we can develop a healthy relationship with our problems,
we can give much more time and effort to the rest of our
lives and contribute to the happiness that definitely can
be ours.
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