Life is Problems
By Kamal El Adnani
Morocco News Tribune
The only thing that you can rely on in life is unpredictability. So many times we get in some dire situation and would tell ourselves “Oh, I didn’t expect things to turn out this way!” Well, again, the only thing you can expect out of life is the unexpected.
Logic is lacking in life’s scheme. Life can take some unexpected twists and land you at the very bottom of the ditch, lonely, broken legged and broken-hearted.
The good news is you can climb out of the ditch. The bad news is there will be so many ditches on your way, some deeper than the others.
People’s reactions to the problems they face in life are very interesting. Some people would easily succumb to depression thinking that life is over and this would put an end to their life. These folks toss in the towel very early in the game.
Others make a fuss about their problems and blame everybody for what they are going through; they are the type who would say “Oh my God! Why is this happening to me?!…why me?!”
These guys waste their energy brooding over the past while they could have been focusing their energy on finding a solution. The third types are those who could make a mountain out of a mole-hill. A very tiny little situation like forgetting where they have put the car keys would make them miserable and there they go again with the show of “my life is a machine with repetitive miseries”. They will call for alarm and panic for nothing. They are the ones Albert Camus had in mind when he said: “The habit of despair is worse than despair itself”.
Don’t follow the tracks of anyone of the above mentioned guys when dealing with a problem; and if you know someone like these guys don’t even mention to them that you have a problem. They are like the hired wailers in the old days, “they weep louder than the owners of the corpse”.
Before going any further, let’s agree that problems are beneficial to your personality growth. From them you learn what not to do in the future and so you become wise. I do believe that the worst thing that can affect your life is stagnation. Problems present a challenge; you unleash your creativity to reach a solution that would bring peace and quiet to your mind.
So what is the best approach to responding to a problem? My mantra is dealing with a problem consists of the following steps:
1-Precaution is better than cure: Try to train your senses to detect the signs that might lead to a wreck. This way you can stop before you reach the ditch. Sometimes we know that what we are doing is going to lead us to a bad end but still keep on doing it because of the pleasure we derive from it. So don’t let your wishes blind you.
2-When you are in a bad scrape, face it up: You have to admit that the hammer came down and struck you on the head. You are going to be temporarily in a cul-de-sac. Don’t avoid the truth.
3-Negativity: the ropes binding Gulliver. Your mind, if used the right way, will find a solution to every hindrance regardless of its magnitude. Brooding over a problem is a waste of time and energy. Negativity is a chain shackled to your mind, you have to break it.
4-The risks of inaction are far greater than the risks of action: Thoroughly examine your situation or problem; weigh your options; and jump in your quest for a solution. Don’t let anything jeopardize your life, fight tooth and nail to get your life back on track. Don’t expect problems to solve themselves.
5-Learn to ask for help: If you feel you are overwhelmed and can’t do it by yourself, seek advice from your family and friends. Sometimes you might even need professional help. Just be careful who you seek help from. Some people in the course of helping you might harm you.
6-Finally, always keep in mind that no event, however disagreeable it is, but has a bright side.
*Kamal El Adnani is an Indiana based Moroccan immigrant. He graduated from Mohamed V University with a BA in English Language & Literature. El Adnani worked as a teacher of English at Moroccan public schools before moving to USA.