It’s Possible! Am I The Only Person with Problems?

Written on 08/03/2024
Jackie Wallace

I don't know about you, but sometimes it feels like I'm the only person in the world who struggles. Looking around at everyone's seemingly perfect life can make me feel inferior and like a failure.

Since you're here, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you understand what that's like.

The good news is that you're not alone, and with a bit of time, patience, and practice, you can turn what you once viewed as problems into opportunities! 

The Danger of Comparison
In today's digital world, we're constantly comparing our lives to others. You look at a friend's beautiful social media posts and think, "They have it all together, why don't I?" 

The truth is while we think we know people; we really have no idea what they're going through behind those posts.

The real differentiator isn’t so much what kind of problems we have, but it’s more about how we react and interpret them that determines how prevalent they will be in our life. 

One of my favorite quotes is from Tony Robbins. He says, "The biggest problem people have is they think they shouldn't have problems." When you hear it like that, the concept seems silly because, of course, we all have them; they're a part of life. But when it comes to our own circumstances, we tend to be pretty tough on ourselves. Ever wonder why? 

I think it all comes down to how we see things. While some see a problem as an opportunity, others see it as a roadblock.

Maybe those who are fulfilled in life haven't found a way to avoid hard situations; they've just gotten better at problem-solving. If you think about it, a lot of the things we rely on every day, like electricity, phones, cars, internet, you name it, all came about because someone faced a problem and figured out how to fix it. Inventions are born in response to a problem. Think about your own life, the things you have overcome because you tackled a problem, only to come out stronger and better on the other side.

It’s those problems that connect us. If we didn't have problems to solve, there would be no entrepreneurs, no cures for sickness, and no advancements in humanity. It's our problems that provide the opportunity for growth and possibility. 

Changing Your Mindset
Let's get real; you will have problems in life; they're unavoidable, and they’re never fun. Once you solve one problem, another one shows up. As difficult as it may be, you are stronger and more capable than you realize. However, you will only learn this about yourself when you challenge the problem.

Some problems are out of our control. The one thing that is in our control is our power to change our mindset and face the hard times head-on. The most challenging part of this is keeping faith, knowing that problems are temporary, and when solved, they can lead to greater things. 

Start with a few simple ideas:

Make a deal with yourself to not compare yourself to anyone else. Cancel the urge before you go there.
Give up the scrolling on social media. Remember those posts only capture fleeting moments of perfection. None of us share the mundane parts of our lives.
View yourself as a problem solver and discover how empowering it can be.
Don’t play small in order to avoid problems. Life is too short for that.
Turn the problem into a challenge that you are determined to win.
Lean into your resources for help such as family, friends, peers, mentors, others who have gone through something similar, and people you look up to.
Look at problems as the universal connector. They’re what help us relate to each other. Who knows who you might meet because of a problem.

Hear me out; you don’t have to be defined by your problems. Instead, be defined by how you handle them. Be a victor instead of a victim.

You have what it takes to live the life you want; you simply need to navigate through the fear and doubt that come with the problems.

As the saying goes “you have to go through it, to get through it.”  

You got this!

It's Possible! 

For more, check out https://www.gamechangercoaching.today/