What's the problem with our problems?

Day after day, problem after problem, miniscule or large, you just can't seem to get a break. Perhaps a problem - which is a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome and needing to be dealt with and overcome - can't in fact be avoided and instead of approaching it the way most of us do, perhaps it may be important or beneficial to change our perception or approach to our problems. What's quite fascinating (yet not regularly spoken about) is that we live our lives on our own terms and no one can take that away from us.

Have you ever tried viewing your problems from a different angle? Or perhaps have you tried viewing your problems through a different perspective? Have you stopped for a moment to logically think about your problem at a holistic level - emotions aside - to gain clarity of the problem on hand?

It’s quite easy to get caught up in the vicious cycle of complain and worry, however reframing your mindset can allow you to break that cycle and perceive adversity through a brighter light. Reframing your mindset through reflection allows for stronger self-awareness and self-improvement. Through self-reflection, you allow yourself to look at life through a different lens which then allows you to view your problems from a different angle.

A simple exercise to revisit common problems I've heard over the last few months:

• Would you tell an orphan - how much you despise spending time with your family?
• Would you tell a young widow - how your loved ones don't make enough time for you?
• Would you tell a homeless person - how badly you want a bigger house?
• Would you tell an unemployed person - how much you dislike your job?
• Would you tell a young man who walks kilometres a day just to provide for his family - how poor your public transport system is?
• Would you tell the person in the emergency room - how disappointing it is that your health care provider doesn't cover cosmetic procedures?
• Would you tell a family that hasn’t had electricity in their home for months - how frustrating it is to see your phone on less than 20% battery?
• Would you tell a young ambitious student - that your teachers were rubbish, the facilities were poor, your degree was a waste of time and it didn't open many opportunities for you?
• Would you tell the old and tired taxi driver - you were only able to fly economy after a long, luxurious and relaxing holiday?
• Would you tell a starving child - how frustrating it is when home-delivery is late?
• Would you tell a homeless person - how much you hate breaking a $50?
• Would you tell the couple who've been trying to have kids for years - you wish you never had kids?
• Would you tell a poor family of five who share a room - how irritated you get when your guests use your bathroom?
• Would you tell the family who lost their child to alcohol fuelled violence - how badly the lockout laws have impacted your social life?
• Would you tell a dying child - how bad, boring or unfulfilling your life is?

By all means am I not saying your problems aren't worthy of worry or concern, more so that there's greater benefit if you try approaching your problems differently.

When you view your problems from a different angle, you realise that problems are inevitable and vary in size and impact. When you view your problems from a different angle, you gain clarity which equips you to solve your problems or accept your problems. When you view your problems from a different angle, you hold yourself accountable of your perception of your problems and your reaction (or inaction) to your problems. When you view your problems from a different angle, you realise that the things you might take for granted, someone else is praying for. When you view your problems from a different angle, you allow yourself to reframe your mindset to break the vicious cycle of complain and worry - eventually allowing you to perceive adversity through a brighter light. This in turn allows you to foster a lifestyle of accountability and gratitude. ?āntideva, a Buddhist monk and scholar taught us - if the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.

When you really think about it, each of our problems have in fact resulted in our development - whether the outcome was positive, or perhaps negative (usually a learning experience) or made us significantly stronger. So why not change our perception or approach to our problems so we can help ourselves maintain our focus on bigger, greater and more valuable things in life - because we live our lives on our own terms and no one can take that away from us.

- Thejani De Silva