The late iconic speaker, Dr Norman Vincent Peale once spoke at Auckland’s Aotea Centre. He shared how, while in New York walking with a friend, the man complained about the number of problems that he had. Just at that point, the pair happened to be passing the Longview Cemetery.
Peale quickly replied to the man “You see that cemetery. There are over five-hundred people buried there and suffice to say that not one of them has a problem. But ….. they are dead.
That being the case, I put it to you that the mere fact that you are alive means that you will have problems. By reason of this thinking” Peale went on, “I’d like to suggest that the more problems you have, the more ALIVE you are!”.
Years ago, I attended a course designed by the renowned Dale Carnegie held at the Auckland Town Hall. Carnegie advised his simple and scientific five-step plan for dealing with problems.
(1) Clarify what is the problem (2) Identify the cause (3) Brainstorm at least five possible solutions (4) Choose the best solution (5) Act on it.
Try it, it works!
We’ve all done it. We have stewed and worried about a problem all night long and arisen the next day, washed out and with brain fog. That is not a good habit to get into. Better to deal with any issue, the same day. If you can’t, transfer the thought to your next days diary, or ‘to-do’ list. That way you can be at peace, knowing that you will deal with it in the morning. ‘Worry’ is not good for your health. ‘Mathew 6’ in the Bible states ‘Do not worry about anything. After all, who by worry can add a single hour to his life?’
The more active and involved you are in the things of life, the greater the possibility for you to come across, road-blocks, problems and issues you need to deal with. But that means YOU ARE ALIVE!
Why not try the five-step plan instead of stewing over your problems.
