“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” ― William Shakespeare

Let's face it. Everyone ends up in a bad situation sometimes. Unfortunately, most of us ONLY see the negative. We know the problem that we have to deal with.

It’s easy to do this. You are probably concerned with how the problem affects you and the negative things that might come of it. After all, failure isn’t something we necessarily look forward to.

Reflect on a time when you were faced with a problem. You might have gotten frustrated or not known what to do. It could have distracted you from a task or kept you up at night. It’s safe to say that many people don’t respond positively to problems.

But what if you could change that? What if you could look at the bright side of facing a problem?

While problems can be a challenge to solve, there's a different way to look at things. First, you can focus on the solution instead of the problem. When you think about possible answers, you can think more positively. If you're only thinking of the problem and how it's negatively affecting you, you're not going to be able to quickly come up with a solution.

Second, you think of the ways that your problem can have a positive impact on your life. You might learn something new or grow personally. You might create a new habit of looking at the bright side.

Next time you’re facing a problem or dealing with an issue, I want you to pause and come up with a few solutions. You can write them down, share them with a friend, or keep them to yourself.

Get in the habit of creating solutions out of your problems.

Then, consider the ways a problem can positively impact your life.

Is a problem encouraging you to think outside of the box and be more creative? Is it helping you grow in a specific skill?

By getting into these habits when it comes to problem-solving, you can look at every problem as an opportunity to grow. You can see the good in every issue instead of focusing on the hurdles you have to overcome.

It will take some getting used to, especially for the pessimists out there. But it will be so worth it to have a more positive outlook on every issue you run into.

Namaste,

Shelly