I have a question thats been nagging me for several months now: Why do we have problems? Maybe the question should be Why do we choose to have problems? I have been working on this one through my Shifting Gears program and think I might have the seed to an answer.

First off, a problem is only a nuisance in our own heads. The only reason it is a problem is because we think its a problem or we think it into a problem. We can choose our thoughts. We can choose what we think about and how we think about it. (If you dont believe me then try it yourself.)

We are the ones who create our issues by how we choose to interpret an event. If we interpret something as going against what we want or what we think is right, then we see it as a problem. If we can look at the deeper meaning of what is going on, then maybe we can see that there really are no problems.

And what about the extreme situation, like death or illness? Well, yes. Those appear to be big, sad, life changing events. And yet, I have witnessed people come through those situations with a whole new outlook on life. It was all in how they interpreted the event. Of course, in an extreme situation there will be a period of mourning, a period of adjustment.

I have been to many funerals where the loved ones have said that it was just his or her time to go. They are sad at the loss but happy that their loved one is in a better place. They choose to celebrate the life instead of mourn the loss.

The next time you have a problem, shift your perception of it to see if there is something beyond the surface, something deeper for you to consider. You may be surprised to find that there is more there than you anticipated.

Copyright 2006 Wendi Moore-Buysse