Problem Handling part 1

by Zubli Zainordin
(Malaysia)

Let us share Dr. Moses Simuyemba's vision worldwide and cyberwide: "You are all you can be. Go on and be it."

Thank you for inviting me to submit articles here. This is my first input targetting nothing less than 4 billion humans on earth at this moment with problems. This is a probable, and possible solution:

STOP SAYING “I have a problem” IS THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

Throughout your life, have you ever read or heard someone who says to you, “I have a problem”. In addition, have you ever wrote or said to someone, “I have a problem”.

Probing deeper on the same point, beginning now please observe yourself and others at home, in the office, or elsewhere. During the observation please be aware of the number of times in a day you and others utter, “I have a problem”.

Probably the choice of words is a bit different, yet the statement carries the same message. The effect and impact are the same too. Proceeding through continuous conscious observations you shall ultimately discover that it seems everyone everywhere has at least a personal or a professional problem.

To me, all these problems encountered by every individual citizen of the world, when tabulated and sorted out, we are able to see a pattern. From this pattern we are able to list exactly 9 categories of problems only. These are:
1)Money,
2)Health,
3)Relationship,
4)Communication,
5)Emotion,
6)Sexual,
7)Scheduling,
8)Productivity, and
9)Others.

Beneath these problems there are altogether 7 root causes depicted by 7 letters arranged as B.A.P.E.C.O.D. To elaborate, the initial six letters are psychographics, and the later seventh letter is demographics. Whereby B stands for Behavior; A stands for Attitude; P stands for Personality; E stands for Expectation;C stands for Character; O stands for others, that includes believe, choice, decision, faith, motivation, perception, and more; D stands for demographics, that include race, gender, age, education, position, income, residential, and more.

One of the tests of life for all of us is to choose to sow the seed or pull the weed; the 7 root causes. We experience either failure or success in accordance to the 9 problem categories. These are imposed in the many challenges in our daily lives.
Often time we read or hear that amongst the great majority of people there are those who have said it at least once, and sooner or later someone else is bound to say, “I have a problem”.

This statement is not true and we may choose to stop saying it from now onwards. The fact remains, that the problem is not the problem itself but the way we see the problem. G. K. Chesterton once said:“It isn't that they can't see the solution. It's that hey can't see the problem”.

Of course we always want to see a solution to solve the problem, yet most of us resist the fact that the solution is not contained in the problem per se, but it is conceived in the form of a view in our mind that clearly indicates the way we see the problem.

There are at least 3 angles indicating the way an individual sees a problem that include:

1)Ownership,
2)Focus, and
3)State.

Let us now proceed to understand each angle as the way an individual views a problem that he or she encounters in this life. A better understanding of this, God willing, shall lift us up to the realization that all individuals actually have no problem. Then, possibly we shall choose to stop saying, “I have a problem”.

1. Ownership
When an individual says, “I have a problem”, actually what he or she is saying, “I own a problem”, or “I possess a problem”, or “this problem is mine”. The moment this individual owns this problem, surely the problem already owns him or her. In addition, the moment this individual possesses the problem, then surely the problem already possesses him or her.

The question is “why?”. Why does an individual want to own a problem? Why does this individual aspire to be the owner of a problem? Why does this individual allow a problem to occupy his or her inner space, and subsequently the problem dominates a major part of his or her life? Why?

The answer is attachment. An individual's attachment to the problem. This means that everywhere this individual goes, the problem goes along with him or her. What ever place this individual is at, there the problem exists and lurks next to him or her. The problem is attached to this individual only when he pr she claims ownership of the problem.

Detachment. Yes...detachment is a possible way out. Detachment does not mean, once we are detached from this problem, it is gone. Detachment means an act of separation. A separation between the “I” and this “have a problem”. Only when we separate the two through detachment, shall we accept the fact that we are not the problem, and the problem is not us. We are entirely separated from the problem, and in addition the problem is not and never is a part of us. So, being detached now from all problems, we have decided to withdraw from an ownership of any problem in this life, be it personal or professional.

02. Focus
When an individual says, “I have a problem”, please observe where actually his or her focus is. The wrong focus or right focus brings about free doom or freedom in relations to a problem he or she encounters in this life. The wrong focus is on the problem instead of the solution. The right focus is on the solution rather than the problem.

The question is “why?” Yes...why does an individual want to focus on what he or she does not want. Why this individual does not choose to focus on that he or she really wants. Why this individual try to focus on the problem rather than the solution. Why?

The answer is identification. Yes...identification allows this individual to understand where to focus. Either the focus is on the subject or the result; in other words, the problem or the solution. To achieve the right focus on the correct spot identified, this individual is invited to ask himself or herself, “What do I really want?”.

He or she is then encouraged to ask further “do I want the problem, or do I prefer the solution”. Surely he or she prefers the solution. Then his or her focus better be directed on “I”, and not at “have a problem”. This is because the “I” have the power to solve any problem, while “the problem” cannot be solved by itself.

When an individual is truly focused on the “I” rather than the “have a problem”, then there is no problem for this individual to say, “I do not have a problem”, or “I always have a solution to any problem”. That means, he or she does not own nor possess the problem any more. Instead the way he or she sees all circumstances and happenstances in this life are just “results”. Yes...we already know that truly in life there are no problems, there are only results. The consideration then is to rate each of them as 1) detrimental, 2) beneficial, or 3) interesting

Definition. Yes...definition is a possible way out. To define or be defined. We are always able to define all concepts, words, or terms, to our own advantage. Now, when an individual defines “a problem” as “a result”, than chancing undesired results can be achieved by using the reframing technique. Reframing is the changing of a view of a result that an individual does not want, to the result that he or she really wants.