If You Think You Have A Problem, Then You Have A Problem
Life can and does take many turns. Things don’t always go our way, thankfully. Problems arise everywhere … or not? What is really a problem? Do we have as many problems as we think or do we just complicate our lives thinking about what we think we are missing?
In reality, it is our attitude that determines whether we really have a problem and its magnitude. Think that it is our assessment of the facts that truly makes us turn circumstances into problems, it is also our assessment that transforms a challenge into a threat.
Adversity as an opportunity
Whether we like it or not, like it or not, whether we are prepared or not, adversity will come our way. Many questions will arise then, but the most important of all is what are we going to do, how are we going to incorporate that from now on. In other words, are you going to let adversity become a problem or are you going to turn the new circumstance into an opportunity to learn and grow?
Initial pain and worry are normal and natural. It’s even healthy to give pain time to do its work. Resisting is only one way to prolong the agony. Pain is a natural feeling that must be given space. It is when the emotional pain passes that you have to really face the new situation.
Despite how much life can complicate us, adversity can become a great opportunity to get to know ourselves better, to value what we have, to value ourselves. The approach does not change what has happened, it will not bring us a solution, but it will give us the opportunity to discover. An activity that is already wonderful in itself.
Acceptance and adaptation to change in the face of the problem
Learning to adapt to new circumstances, no matter how adverse, is the secret to living a full and happy life. It seems difficult, but it is possible. However, adaptation alone is not enough: we also have to be able to accept what we have to do. On all occasions, this acceptance is the beginning of change, either within ourselves or in our environment.
Adapting does not mean overcoming adversity, it only helps to take part of the control, the control of oneself. After all, Bernabé Tierno already said, you can face everything, but you can’t beat everything. Only acceptance will allow us to make a real adaptation and get the most out of it until the last second of our life.
Learn to endure what you cannot change
Happy is he who learns to endure what he cannot change, said Fiedrich Schiller. Certainly, no matter how hard the change, no matter how great the adversity, learning to deal with it, accept it and adapt to the new circumstance in many cases is the only way to move forward. To opt for the rest of the alternatives we would have to pay a price that at this moment we cannot assume or there are no more alternatives directly.
As we learn to accept change and adapt to new circumstances, we will face other changes, because life is like this: pure dynamics. In these cases, our first reaction may be to flee or fight, which are innate survival instincts that acquire great strength as motivators of our actions when we feel threatened.
But when we are able to mentally adapt to a situation, however harsh it may be, then we are in a position to find a way to adjust to the new situation. A person who can accept change and adapt to his new situation is the one who is able to focus his mind in new directions and make decisions based on his new reality and his new goals.
Instead of suffering for what you don’t have, enjoy what you have
You have a real problem if you allow yourself to be overcome by adversity, if you allow yourself to be overcome by grief for what you lost or what you can no longer do. You will have turned adversity into a real problem, into a heavy slab that will not let you advance.
A complicated reality does not have to turn into an exhausting and disappointing situation, it does not have to put an end to dreams and hopes. With courage and optimism you can find and take advantage of the new opportunities that are presented to us all. Our limits are not in our limitations. We still have a long way to go ahead, although our supports will be left behind.
Staying at the bottom of the well, when there are difficulties, can become quite a temptation. That is the easy way. You may mourn loss, failure, or illness, but don’t make that place your home. You still have many opportunities ahead of you to have a full life. However, to achieve this you have to accept the change that has occurred and do it as the starting point to adapt to the new circumstances.
