Life is all about Problem Solving

Life is all about Problem Solving and the smartest are those who solve their problems with the least amount of energy and resources being spent. The greatest among those smartest are the ones who stretch out to solve other’s problems as well. While almost all of us eat and sleep to solve our basic problems of hunger and tiredness, there are a few amidst us, ignoring the basic ones, yearning to solve the ultimate problems of existence, evolution etc. Whatever the problems are, there are some of us who choose to solve them, some trying to avoid them, some more wishing to forget them and there are some more that choose to live with them just because either there is no solution or atleast they think so. There are some people who get carried away by others’ problems and involve in it deeply losing their own happiness and there are some smart managers who delegate all their problems to their gullible subordinates and lead a blissful life.

It is a myth that problems can be solved completely because most of the problems are always recurring and only some instances are solved. Infact there are some problems that continue to exist as long as life does. Psychologists may wish to call problems as needs and wants and Spiritual thinkers may prefer to call needs and wants as problems!

The important question is how do we solve our problems and incase some problems are insolvable then how do we handle them. Incase we choose to solve a problem, how much of time and energy do we spend in order to solve it? Do we create more problems by solving one or do we actually avoid many impending ones by solving one. There are many guidelines to the problem of problem solving itself and there are three important ones that we should always bear in mind. The first among them is to ascertain if there is a real problem at all or is it only perceived. Most of our problems are in our minds and don’t exist really. The next one is identify where exactly the problem is. Have you read this joke in which a “Sardar”, without knowing that his thumb is injured, complains to a Doctor that his entire body is paining whenever he touches it with his thumb? Infact most of us are like him, in the sense, we don’t realize that we are the reason for our problems in most of the cases but we blame others and the environment for the same. And the next step is to find if the problem is affecting others as well. If so, it is better to join hands and solve it than struggling alone.

One of the main characteristics of a great Leader is his ability to solve problems of his group. History is replete with heroics of great people who even gave their lives in solving problems. Interestingly there are also examples of some self- proclaimed Leaders who have invented problems, justified their existence and wasted time, money and energy in solving them (only to complicate them further) just to keep up their leadership by creating fear psychosis in their subjects. One question that we should constantly ask ourselves is why do we always look outside to solve problems? Is it because of the classical conditioning or lack of correct understanding or the lack of courage to face it? Having said all this, Life is all about gearing ourselves always to solve problems or atleast reducing the number of instances if we don’t have control over their occurrence.