Pebbles or Diamonds
Aug 08, 2022
I was teaching a workshop Friday morning on Leadership, which included the topics of priorities, self-discipline and creative problem solving.
In the problem solving section, I mentioned that we usually look at problems as negative and anxiety producing.
What if we changed our thinking and looked at problems as opportunities, as adventures to learn something new? That mindset takes away the negative emotions and the unproductive meaning we may add to the problem. When we do that, the flight or fight response is disabled, the blood rushes back from our extremities, and we then are able to think clearly. Solutions can then abound.
I then asked the question, "When did you grow the most in your life, when times were easy and comfy, or during trials." Almost every person there said, "During the trials." Some of those answers were accompanied by eye-rolling, "that's-a-stupid-question" smirks, and hands thrown into the air in "whatever" mode. Yep, problems can be viewed as growth opportunities. Here's a great story:
One night a group of nomads were traveling down the road when they were surrounded by a great light, and they knew they were in the presence of celestial beings. With great anticipation they awaited a heavenly message of great importance to them. Finally a voice spoke:
“Gather as many pebbles as you can. Put them in your saddle bags. Travel a day’s journey and tomorrow night will find you glad and it will also find you sad.”
They were disappointed and angry at the message. They were given a menial task that made no sense. However, the brilliance of the visitor caused each one to go ahead and pick up a few pebbles and put them in their saddle bags.
They traveled a day’s journey and that night reached into their saddle bags. They discovered that every pebble had turned into a diamond. They were happy they had diamonds, but they were sad that they had not gathered more pebbles.
Problems can be pebbles or diamonds, depending on how we choose to see them.
Shining my pebbles,
Jan
Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team