June- Week 4 - Problem Solving

“Every problem is a gift—without problems we would not grow.” – Tony Robbins

June has been devoted to problem-solving, but maybe the problem isn’t that we have problems, but how we think about them. Problems are inevitable; what may need to change is not the existence of problems, but the way we consider them.  As Tony Robbins says, consider them as gifts to help us grow.

Often, the same problem keeps resurfacing, in relationships, at work, with children, or with family members. If we step back, examine our reactions, and notice patterns, we may be able to reframe the situation and respond differently. We can also reconsider the “problem” as a Gift. How? By saying why is this happening for me, not to me. Robbins suggests that the real problem is sometimes how we define what is happening to us.

This week, when a problem surfaces, take a pause. Resist the urge to fall immediately into the same familiar pattern of solving it. Instead, practice the view from above: step back, widen your perspective, and then take the next step. Write down a few possible ways of defining the occurrence as a gift, something that may be here to teach, strengthen, or redirect you.