Solving or Surviving Problems

This morning, one of the members of my travelling party was upset because they couldn't get the shower to work the night before. Later, another member of my group discovered that the device which we thought was a freezer didn't actually freeze all of the things inside of it. In both cases, I looked at the objects that weren't working the way we thought they should, and I discovered how they really work. I don't think it was that I was more clever than my companions. I know that they are very intelligent people. I think that the traits that I had that allowed me to solve the riddles were patience and optimism.

So often, we face challenges that confuse us or overwhelm us, and that can be terribly frustrating, but if we can endure the frustration and keep looking for solutions, we can sometimes find them after the point at which we were tempted to give up. Solving problems isn't something that can only be done by the smart or the strong. Often, problems are solved by those who keep their chin up and keep trying to work things out.

That said, there are times when it is better for a person's emotional health to just give up. When there is no solution to a particular problem, it is sometimes better to simply resolve yourself to endure it.

Whether it's better for you to continue attempting to solve a problem, or simply accept the problem and attempt to endure it, really depends on how you feel at the time. There have been moments when I kept trying too long and ended up getting terribly frustrated, and there have been times when I gave up to soon and later regretted it. You just have to know yourself. Try to figure out how much difficulty you can handle before you become frustrated, and then work at your problems until you reach that point. You don't have to frustrate yourself continuing to work on a problem that you lack the resources to solve, but you shouldn't give up too quickly, either. Only you can know when to keep trying and when to stop.

I've been blessed with a fair amount of resilience in the face of certain problems, and I try to use that blessing to try to help solve the problems of others. If you lack that resilience, you might be able to develop it, but for now, it may be best to know your emotional limits and to know when to ask for help. Also, just a reminder: Whether you have a great deal of patience and problem-solving skills or not, you can ALWAYS ask God for help. And if I'm around, feel free to ask me for help, too.