“Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom: need, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally or spiritually. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human spirit to solve problems.” M. Scott Peck, author of The Road Less Travelled.

Problems get a bad rap, don’t they? Most of us, myself included!, groan when they come our way. Who needs them?

We do!

Why? Without them, we’d never get anywhere.

Problems aren’t the enemy! They’re our friends. They’re fuel.

They push us beyond our self-imposed limits.

They spark our creativity and ignite our ingenuity.

They give us the opportunity to improve and grow.

They show us how vast and untapped our potential is.

Most of the time we think that when problems crop up, they impede our progress, we’re slowed down, we get stuck.

But consider this: Without problems, we’d really be stuck. We’s have no incentive to push ourselves to greater heights. We’d just amble along.

So, the next time a problem comes your way, reframe it: See it as an opportunity for growth. See it as a challenge—something that gets your juices going, that excites you. As my great friend and mentor Dr. Rob Gilbert* says, “Don’t get frustrated, get fascinated!”

When you get frustrated by a problem, you contract, you retreat. When you get fascinated by a problem, you expand. You wrap your mind around it and something big happens—ideas start popping and suddenly, you are on your way to a solution.

And here’s something I’ve learned that might help. When an obstacle crops up, most people see two paths to solving it: the obvious one and the not so obvious one. But there’s always a third path—the hidden path, the innovative one that most people don’t see. Search for the third path. Ask for guidance from the Universe. And then see what you come up with. You might be surprised and delighted!

So reframe and renegade! Problems are friends, not foes. Write on!

* For a daily dose of motivation, call Dr. Gilbert’s Success Hotline: 973-743-4690.

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