Shift the focus to solutions

When we learn to view our problems through the windows of eternity, we will find that they are so trivial, so tiny, that they do not affect us at all! When problems surface, insights disappear. When insights surface, problems disappear!

Problems are a mark of life, a sign of life.

Problems do not come to us by accident. They are deliberately thrown in our way by a beneficent Providence for our own good. In the measure in which we handle these problems successfully, in that measure we will be able to unfold the tremendous powers of the Spirit, the immense energies of the eternal that lie locked up within every one of us. If we are able to unfold even a fraction of these infinite powers, we would realise that there is nothing that we cannot achieve! And the best way to unfold, unlock these hidden powers is the way of handling problems and challenges in the right way.

The right way to handle problems is to look at the solution! The greatest satisfaction in life comes to you not in running away from problems, not in the dereliction of tough duties, but in meeting and solving problems, in facing up to challenges as a dependable, responsible individual.

There are three ways of meeting a problem but only one of them is the right way. The first is to run away from the problem. But it will come back to you with a vengeance. The second way is that of passive resignation. This is also a negative approach although it is better than the previous way. The third way is the way of glad acceptance. Move forward to greet the problem. Life is a school and experience is our teacher. And every experience that comes to us has a valuable lesson to teach. So, meet your problems, face them bravely and actually co-operate with them, knowing that they bring to you a rich treasure, a treasure which you must receive. This is the right way of meeting a problem. It is the way of acceptance, the way of victory!

It has been said that a problem is like a pebble. If you hold it close to you eye, it seems magnified, and it blocks your entire vision. If you hold it at arm’s length, you can see its shape, its colour and size. If you drop it at your feet, you can effortlessly walk over it!

There was a spiritual seeker a jignasu who was told about a holy man, a sage who lived on a lonely, remote mountain top. It was believed that this wise man had an answer for every question the solution to every problem. Merely by spending a few minutes in his presence, one’s life would be changed forever.

Naturally, the seeker was anxious to meet such an evolved soul. “If only I could just see him”, he said to himself, “I would count myself blessed! If only I could share a few seconds with him, I would feel truly enlightened!” He decided to set out in search of the sage’s abode. For days together, he walked across hills, rivers, valleys and streams to locate the mountain where the great guru lived. After a tough and exhausting climb, he finally arrived at the sage’s front door.

Trembling with intense emotional excitement, he knocked at the door. It was opened by a lowly man in poor clothes whom he took to be a servant. The servant greeted him and led him through the house. They passed through several corridors and rooms, and the servant kept on talking as they walked. However, the seeker’s mind was so fixed on the experience ahead of him, that he hardly paid any attention to what the man was saying. The servant glanced at him as he talked and, finally, they both arrived at a locked door. It led on to the backyard. Wordlessly, the servant indicated that the visitor should leave the house. “But I’ve come all the way to meet the guru,” the seeker protested. “I must have at least a few minutes with him!” ‘You just did,” answered the sage as he let the man out and shut the door firmly.

We are so preoccupied with ‘big’ issues, we have no time to spare for the here and the now. Our answers, the solutions to our problems are not always to be found on a mountain top, they may be staring you in the face right where you are!

Our life on earth is but a moment in eternity. When we learn to view our problems through the windows of eternity, we will find that they are so trivial, so tiny, that they do not affect us at all! When problems surface, insights disappear. When insights surface, problems disappear!