The problem is not the problem

"My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are worthy qualities that they must work towards."

~ Dr. Abdul Kalaam, scientist and 11th President of India.

For human beings more so for Sri Lankans, 'problem' is a word that constantly occupies their mind; that occur and void, with the fleeting swing of the pendulum of the mind. In fact, it would be more correct and apt to use the plural, problems. We are buried, crushed, deluged, engulfed, flooded, inundated, submerged, and swamped, with problems; as a people, or individually; one after another, or in multiples; constantly, or mercifully, at intervals.

The overwhelming nature of our problems extends from the daily battle with living, not to mention the cost of living and to the balancing of the budget - whether be that of the nation, or that of a household - to the nature of our lifestyle. I cannot speak for infants; but most certainly, once past the second to fourth year of childhood, depending upon the development of the mind of the child, and of that of the adults later on; we constantly live with problems.

Difficulties of one or the other sort: moral, sociological, or emotional; minor or major; imagined or real; existent or non-existent; self created or externally induced. So much so, it seems, life is the art of looking for problems, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies. Thus, it appears that, life is a crisis - of problems.

This may be so; of life being a constant crisis of problems. However, the problem is not the problem, never the problem. The problem, most times, is that of our attitude about the problem. Just imagine; if not for problems, the mind would rebel at stagnation, at the dull routine of existence; and of having nothing to solve, nothing challenging. Every problem is a gift.

Without problems, we would not grow. Problems produce mental exaltation. Happiness is, not brought about by the absence of problems; but by the ability to deal with them.

Hence, it is our attitude to problems that defines our personality, our state of happiness. Remember: The best way out of a problem is always directly through it. Problems are to be solved, not by giving or gaining new information, but by arranging what we have known since long. "The whole problem with the world is: that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser men so full of doubts" - Bertrand Russell.

Problems are like storms. Once the storm is over, you will not remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive.

You will not even be sure, whether the storm is really over.

But one thing is certain; when you come out of the storm, you will not be the same person who walked in.

That is what the storm was all about, it makes you fitter. One finds peace and happiness not by trying to escape problems, but by confronting them courageously. Happiness and peace is, found not in denial but in victory.

"If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it is not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever:" The Dalai Lama.

Errors

Whatever failures we have known, whatever errors we have committed, whatever follies we have witnessed in public and private life; they have been the consequences of, our action without thought.

All the problems of the world could be, settled easily, if men were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often resort to all sorts of devices in order not to think, because thinking is such hard work.

That is why I suppose ninety percent of the people do not think at all, whilst the other ten percent think that they think. Life is not easy. We all have problems - even tragedies - to deal with, and luck has nothing to do with it. Bad luck is only the superstitious excuse for those who do not have the wit to deal with the problems of life.

Never be overwrought because you have mountains of problem in your hands to solve. Always smile because each problem will someday resolve. The key is this: Meet today's problems with today's strength. Do not start tackling tomorrow's problems until tomorrow. You do not have tomorrow's strength yet.

You simply have enough for today. What is not understood by most of us is, that many, if not most problems are just tough decisions waiting to be made; and that, again and again, the impossible problem is solved when we finally resolve ourselves to make the tough decision that we keep procrastinating due to fear.

The huge problems we deal with every day are actually, truly small. We are, so focused on what bothers us, we do not even try to see our lives from a clearer perspective.

"The difficult problems in life, always starts off being simple. Great affairs always start off being small." Lao Tzu, also known as Laozi was a philosopher of ancient China.

If the heart has problems, which the mind cannot understand, it is because all problems that occur have ultimately, been caused by man; his thoughtlessness; through his irresponsibility: his lifestyle, his attitude. We are responsible for our stresses, anxieties, pains, and problems that arise. Selfishness and greed, individual or national, cause most of our troubles.

We do not see the world, others, or even ourselves, as worthy of love. We get, so caught up in our own problems, that we forget how amazing the world is. Sometimes, problems do not require a solution to solve them; instead, they require maturity to outgrow them. The problem is not that there are problems.

Problem

The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem. The future will present insurmountable problems - only when we consider them insurmountable. In fact, we are, continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insolvable problems. Thus, without recognising this opening, this moment, we cry, like Omar Khayyam, a Persian poet, philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer: "This world that was our home for a brief spell never brought us anything but pain and grief; it is a shame that not one of our problems was ever solved. We depart with a thousand regrets in our hearts." As much as I admire Omar Khayyam, I do not agree with this premise.

The art of being wise is the art of knowing that solutions do not come from external sources but rather, from experiences, our experiences in life. It might be depressing, but it is also the truth: no one in this world has the power, or the resources, to save everyone on the planet from going hungry, living in poverty.

However, there are people in this world who truly would do all of these things for everyone, if they could, if it be within their power. That being not possible, we must lean to place hope in the merciful adaptations that nature makes; when what cannot be cured, must be endured.

Our lives, as short as they may be, are a test. One of the biggest tests we can endure is how we respond to those moments of problems. I believe deeply that one of the greatest gifts humans possess is, to realise that there is a purpose behind every single one of our trials, tribulations, and problems. Hence, if we realise this, the problem is not the problem, and it is our attitude to the problem that is a problem.

See you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking; keep laughing. Life is mostly about these two activities.

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