Problems vs. Solutions

I almost hijacked Crazy Aunt Purl's blog to comment, but decided it was important enough to warrant its own post.

Today's topic at CAP is the gas prices and how people respond with "Well, it could be worse" and seem to shrug off the responsibility for making things better. There is an argument that Europe has been dealing with high gas (petrol) prices for years and they're fine, but one forgets that they also have many government-provided amenities lacking in the US (like free education, health care, etc). Here are my thoughts.

The purpose of the "well, it could be worse" line of thought is that it's an attempt to refocus us onto the positive thought process rather than the worst-case scenario process (but somehow it goes wrong in the process and I'll tell you why in a minute).

I've been studying the Law of Attraction quite diligently for over a year now and I've learned something.

1. What we focus on EXPANDS--meaning, we get more OF it.
2. The most effective way to manifest something is to ponder it briefly, then let it go and forget about it.

With regard to the first part, if we focus on how awful the gas prices are, guess what? They will continue to be awful! They will get awfuler (I declare that as a word that officially appears in the Bantercon).

When we say something like "it could be worse", guess what our brains do? They momentarily envision it GETTING WORSE.

Then, we shrug it off and move on, forgetting about it.

Refer to #2 above and you'll see WHY, if someone says "Cheer up! It could always be worse" and you cheer up, it still GETS worse.

Got it?

So, yes, I agree, let's stop with the "could be worse" comments if only to protect ourselves.

Then, if we can learn to flip our thoughts around, and focus on the positive aspects, we will lessen the negative energy going out, and increase the chances of the gas trend (and others) reversing.

We would be better off if, instead of being PROBLEM-SOLVERS, we all became SOLUTION-FINDERS. But, what's the big deal? Those are the same things, right?

WRONG. Problem-solvers. Solution-finders. Look at the phrases.

Problem-solvers focus on solving problems. They focus on the problem without even realizing they do so.

Solution-finders focus on finding solutions.

Tell me—can you feel the difference when you think the words? Can you feel how different your emotions are when you think "problem solver" versus "solution finder"? (If you can't, you need to get back in touch with yourself.)

I've realized just today that I've spent my whole life being problem-focused, which is why I keep experiencing more and more events that bring problems to me to be solved.

Of course, that's natural. It's how we are all re-programmed as we grow up, thanks to the media, our parents, our peers, our teachers, and later our bosses and the companies we work for. We lose the natural ability to be solution-focused and positive thinkers and miracle-makers that we were when we first entered this world. Oh, yes. Listen to children. Think like them. They believe in Santa Claus. THEY BELIEVE. They have an unshakeable faith that all things are possible, even unicorns, and that faith survives until they become exposed to school/TV and begin to be programmed to function as a cog in the work place (where that sort of thinking has no place).

My new objective is to be a SOLUTION-FOCUSED person. Would you like a good example of a solution-focused person?

A surgeon or doctor.

When the surgeon visits the woman in the hospital who's a victim of a horrific car crash and needs major facial reconstruction, he does not see the bruised, swollen, lacerated mess that occurred mere hours before—he sees the finished product. He sees the woman six months down the road, reconstructed, healed, all the scars carefully hidden. He sees, as he looks her over, exactly how to put her back together. And he has absolute confidence in his ability to do so—without question.

THAT is solution-focused.

Back to the subject of gas: I personally cheer every time I see even a one cent drop in the gas prices. I cheer (inside) when I find a lower-priced alternative, when milk goes on sale at W*l-M*art, when I find eggs more cheaply than the grocery store. I cheer, because I want to send out positive energy towards reducing prices.

Of course, as CAP suggested, it might be easier just to move to Europe.

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Labels: Law of Attraction, musings

posted by Jeanne @ 1:54 PM