My Perspective #78: “Don’t wish away problems.” Let me explain.

Narration of My Perspective here

Many years ago, I heard Jim Rohn speak at a leadership conference. Of the many takeaways I wrote down, below is one of them. I can’t add anything to make it any more impacting, but I can expound by relating some of my own experiences.

Jim Rohn said:

“Don’t wish it were easy, wish you were better. 

Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skill.

Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.”

——

• “Don’t wish it were easy, wish you were better.”

          I failed Algebra my junior year in high school with a 68. Ms. Coronado would not “give” me those extra 2 points which prevented me from running varsity track. I was devastated. Obviously, I don’t know if I would have had a stellar hurdling season that particular year, but I did decide I would never fail a course ever again instead of wishing things would be easier or expecting things to be handed to me. As devastating as that experience was for my 17-year old self, it made me profoundly better. 

• “Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skill.”

          When I first darted out into the “real world” at the ripe age of 25 to begin life after college, I remember experiencing of host of new and unfamiliar “problems” that required different ways and methods to handle and take care of. Instead of just figuring out the problems at the time, I remember surrendering that I couldn’t do it, complaining that I was burned out or that whatever was happening was too hard. Awww, poor-pitiful-me. I’m grateful for my parents’ tough love at the time. My mom telling me to “get a grip, slow down and figure it out,” and my dad reminding me I wasn’t old enough to be “burned out.” They were right. As a result, skills were borne and sharpened to handle life with way less fearing and fretting.

• “Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.”

          Now at 48 years old, I’d like to say I’m “wiser” because of the challenges I have had to handle in my life (up until) now. Some of the challenges I’ve had to face were a result of poor choices and some were self-imposed challenges just to make things a little harder on purpose. Now, as a seasoned “challenge-accepter,” I feel equipped and adequate to handle other challenges as they come with hopes that they too will make me just a little wiser somehow. 

I’m grateful to God that all the wishing, pleading and negotiating over the years to make situations easier or more manageable never came to fruition after all. 

Turns out, I was actually adequate to handle the things.

Narration of My Perspective here

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