|
Home >> Archives
>> General Interest >> Surrounded By Problems? Divide and Evaporate!
There are times in everyone's life when troubles start
piling up all around us. On some days it can seem like
nothing but problems confront us, no matter which way we
turn.
We can get so discouraged that we begin to feel everything
is against us... that everyone we know has turned away...
that even the tiniest details in our life are out to defeat us.
But at times like that, we sometimes get so depressed that
we make enemies out of facts that are NOT our foes.
We can get so psyched out by our problems that we begin to
identify EVERYthing as a hostile factor.
I was in the midst of just such a period, years ago, when I
developed my "divide and evaporate" strategy for thinning
out problem overload.
If you find yourself in what looks like totally hostile
terrain, and you're so discouraged that can't think of a
single positive thing, try this approach. It can help.
Step 1. Check your own perceptions
Sure, some problems face you. And there may even be a few
people blocking you. But everything and everybody? Surely
some of the details in your situation are at least neutral.
If today is Thursday, for example, that's probably a neutral
fact. It's not an enemy, for goodness' sake.
The room you're sitting in probably has a floor. Hostile
fact? Nah, it's neutral.
If your home is still standing, that's not a negative. In
fact, it's something you can be thankful for.
Start racking up facts that are at least neutral, and soon
you'll have defused the heavy, hopeless feeling that
EVERYTHING is against you.
Soon you'll be able to admit that - well, okay, I'm not
TOTALLY surrounded by enemies.
Step 2. Be thankful for small favors
Since only some of those facts and details are problems, and
the rest are neutral or even helpful, you can be thankful
for this big step forward.
You've just decimated your enemy.
Whether you pray, meditate, do affirmations or practice self-
hypnosis, spend some quiet time being thankful for the
enemies you don't have. A large part of "your enemy's army"
that had encircled you has just been converted into either
allies or at least neutral bystanders.
This breaks the self-pity cycle and gives you a bit of
emotional room to breathe. It also gives you back some of
your resources.
You'll find that it's impossible to feel panicked while
you're being thankful. This gives you some time to think and
work at grabbing a fresh perspective on things.
Step 3. Counteract
Once you've neutralized a large part of "your enemies'
allies," and you're no longer demoralized, it's time to
gather information.
You no longer have to battle everything around you, so now
you can concentrate on the real job, which is simply solving
the actual problems you face.
Start gathering information, just like you'd do if there
were only one or two problems. In fact, that's exactly what
you'll do. Just set some priorities. Decide which two or
three problems are most crucial and get them in process
first. Then work your way through the others until you've
got the pile cleared away.
Now, I know it's a lot simpler to say than it is to do. But
this strategy works.
You just divide out the problems that don't exist and
separate them from the real ones. As soon as you do that,
the "fake problems" will evaporate away, leaving only the
real problems to work on.
It's like you've cut through acres of camouflage and
revealed your real problems where they stand glowering, but
naked.
You'll find that problems are a lot less forbidding (and
usually easier to solve) when you take away their power to
hide amongst the neutral landscape.
And for the rest of your life, you'll KNOW that you can't be
defeated unless you allow it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles Burke is the author of "Command More Luck," a book
offering powerful suggestions for getting more cooperation
from life, luck, and your own mind. Whether you call it
synchronicity, serendipity, or just plain old luck, you CAN
become more "naturally lucky." http://www.moreluck.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Top of Page
|
|
|
