The Latest Thing To Solve All of Your Problems
How do you solve problems?
Every day millions of people all over the world create love. I believe this to be true. Creating love is done by a person in a way that is not really all that different from the way that they would create trust, which is done in a similar way to how they would create a painting or a poem or a piece of music.
Creativity, in my estimation, is the ability to make decisions which allow you to make something new; something that communicates an idea or a feeling. Creativity allows you to invent something from whatever materials you choose. The materials you have and choose to use are also results of decisions that you have made.
But Who Will Really Solve Your Problems?
New diet pills, get-rich-quick schemes, and energy drinks seem to be introduced at a relentless rate. Yet, the “problems” that these are supposed to address still exist. Is this because we are using these products incorrectly?
It seems like there are countless products introduced to us every day that are really no better or even different from the products introduced the day before. Perhaps the packaging is better, or the new product is from a new company who changed an old product just enough to get around a patent. So many of these products seem to be new versions of old solutions.
To solve problems we need some real innovation. Even if we ask our friends, do some Internet research, and think for a few days before making a decision, there are no guarantees that anything we try will work.
Is it more important to solve all of our problems, or is it good enough that we try to solve them?
So What Can We Believe?
It seems like there are only a few truths that are consistent over a long period of time. It seems that it would be very easy to just give up and stop believing in anything/everything. But, that does not seem to align with human nature. In my mind, there are a few ideas that can save us all from despair. The hard part is that we need to choose to see them, kind of like faith.
Two “truths” that are not really true in the long-term are (1) skeptics will always be skeptical, and (2) believers will always believe. But, in the short-term these are generally true.
This is why, at any given point in time, there is never any reason to preach to the choir – they already agree with you. That is, unless your motivation is money or power or sex. The easiest way to make money or to gain power is to use a preexisting group’s beliefs to your advantage. It is unfortunate, but we see this all of the time in religion, politics, and even in personal relationships.
That Wasn’t An Answer!
Ok, I know that I did not tell you what we can believe in. As you probably guessed, I do not think that there is any one thing that we all can believe in. We are all different, and that is not a bad thing at all. It is up to each of us to discover something, and when that grows old, or when we find that it does not meet our needs, it is again up to us to find something else.
The scary part of that, for me, is that it appears that there are always so many people/products/organizations waiting in the wings of our confusion. They wait and they look and they want us to take part in their plans. Will they help you to find your balance, your self-esteem, or a million dollars? Probably not, so who will help you to find these things?
Most days I come home from work with at least one question weighing heavily on my mind and my wife helps me to work through them. She may not solve my problems, but she does help me to think them through and to feel better about life. In the end, I am not sure that any of us can ask for more.
Conclusion
The decisions we make today are likely the result of many of the decisions that we have made in the past. How we communicate with others, in what we believe, why we chose that path that we are currently on, and whether or not we want to continue on this path are all a result of our conscious and unconscious decisions.
Your Turn
What will you change about your world view to help you to have a better life?
Who do you rely on to help you with you decisions?
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This post got me thinking. What if the problems we think we have (too fat, too tired, too poor, too uninspired, too unproductive…..) aren’t really problems but symptoms of one big problem? With a change in lifestyle, many of our day to day issues vanish. They don’t go away overnight, but with deliberate, consistent change….they could be gone.
PS…I love the idea of creating love!
Courtney Carver´s last [type] ..Minimalism Misconceptions
Hi Courtney,
Great point! I would have to agree with the way that you put that. In my mind lifestyle implies a certain life view, and working on your life view would likely lead to better habit and fewer problems.
P.S…. I think that creating love is better than just waiting for it
Have a great day!
Twitter: kruby
said:
Hi Mark,
Glad to have you back, you were missed.
This was an interesting post and I couldn’t agree more with this line: “The decisions we make today are likely the result of many of the decisions that we have made in the past.” Too often we do the same things day afer day unconsciously because that’s what we did yesterday. The key is to examine why you are doing things and not getting the results you want in your life. Consciously decide to change things (or keep the things that are working for you), but make it so that you are not just automatically doing the same things over and over again.
Interesting topic, for sure.
Thanks,
Karen
Karen´s last [type] ..Warning- These Emotions May Be Affecting You More Than You Think
Ha. Thank you Karen. It was hard being away.
(By the way, I had a conversation with Hulbert which I believe he posted in his introduction series. He is a great guy & it was really fun talking to him.)
You mention habits here, one of my favorite subjects. I have to really agree with the idea that it is not always good that we do things today because they are the same as what we did yesterday. Yet, it is always preferable to many people to not “recreate the wheel”. While I agree that having a starting point can make you more efficient, I do not think that it is always appropriate.
Being conscious of the things in your life that should be reexamined periodically as well as the emotions these are causing you to feel (nice link below from Karen’s site) seem to be essential to leading a fulfilling, balanced, happy life.
Have a great day!
Twitter: rick_byrd
said:
Mark:
This is a very thought provoking post.
From my point of view, if everyone was like me the world would be a better place, a boring place but none the less a better place. Just Kidding!
One thing that is important to me is who I hang out with. At any given moment we are becoming the average of the 5 closest people to us. So I make a conscious decession about who I surround myself with. I want to be successful, so I hang around other successful people. I want to be a good father and husband so I also make sure that the people I hang around are in my opinion good fathers and husbands.
For most of my decision, I consult my wife. We make decisions together because everything we do affects each of us plus our kids.
- Rick
Rick Byrd´s last [type] ..How To Deal With Negative Comments On Your Blog
Ha! Rick, if everyone was like you, then everyone would like the same things. I don’t think that it would be boring, though.
I like that you mention the effect that others have on our lives & I love that you have goals that include your relationship with your family. I am not sure what else could be as important.
Have a great day Rick (stay inside if you can – it is HOT out here…)!
Hi Mark,
This is an interesting and thought provoking article. I agree with your conclusion that the decisions we make today are likely the result of decisions we have made in the past. In fact, I would say that these decisions are not decisions at all but simply a “going through the motions.” Our mind is easily mesmerized, easily hypnotized, and if it isn’t us doing it, we can be certain the world will do it for us. It is a back breaking burden to through life allowing others to hypnotize our mind with their opinions. On the other hand, it is an absolute delight when we decide that we will be the only one making decisions for us. Ignorance of our own power to decide will take us on a wild roller coaster ride
Hi Rob –
Yeah, “going through the motions” is certainly a common trap and very much inline with what I was thinking. It does make driving easier, but it does not make life changes better, and we can’t avoid change in life. I really like what you said about deciding that we will be the only ones making decisions for ourselves. Excellent thought!
Thank you very much for stopping by & have a great day!
Twitter: jeansarauer
said:
My views/beliefs shifted a lot when I got out in the world and saw that there were choices in these things beyond what I’d learned as a young person. Through the years, my beliefs have continued to get bigger in terms of what I think is possible for humans in general. I tend to think we already have most of what we need to be downright giddy but simply don’t see it.
One thing that’s really impacted me is being around elderly people so much. They would give anything to have the strength to do the chores we complain about, etc. I’m reminded over and over that these simple things we do and take for granted are enormous gifts.
Jean Sarauer´s last [type] ..Newbie Interview Tips From My Virgin Interview
Hey Jean,
The idea that we already have pretty much everything we truly need makes so much sense to me. And, I agree – I think that we take most, if not all of the common stuff completely for granted. It is easy to forget that there are people with real problems; some that you can easily see, and others that you can’t. Even without a disability, our bodies degrade over time, and it really is hard to imagine.
I guess that the solution, if you can call it that, is to continue our understanding and improve our abilities to handle change gracefully.
Have a great day Jean!
Twitter: BlueDelivered
said:
Another insightful, thought-provoking post Mark. So true, our society is always trying to throw a “new” drug or quick fix at the symptoms instead of digging for the root problem and solving that. Frustrating! (and completely annoying that they are making tons of money doing it… i.e. the diet industry)
You said in your conclusion “How we communicate with others, in what we believe, why we chose that path that we are currently on, and whether or not we want to continue on this path are all a result of our conscious and unconscious decisions.” I couldn’t agree with this more!
For a while I was one who was “going through the motions”. Now, I know the path that I am on and my mission to help others communicate during those crucial, pivotal, tough life situations.
As far as who I rely on for help making decisions… my two BFFs… my best friend and my business best friend! I’d be lost without them!!
Hi Dawn,
I share your frustration with the next pill syndrome. It seems like there is a new pill being marketed every few days. Really, I have to think that doctors have a hard time keeping up to speed on which pills do what. But then, I am sure there will soon be a pill for that as well (although, I could use a memory boost…).
I think that most people have just gone through the motions at one time or another. I know I have. It does take a while to get on the right path for most people, and it is hard to stay on it too.
I know what you mean about your friends – I would be lost without mine.
Have a great day!
Twitter: justin_popovic
said:
This post came at a good time for me. As of very recently I have been studying psycho cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz and applying a lot of the great lessons in my life. The biggest lesson I picked up in the book speaks directly to your question on problem solving.
The idea is that when you are faced with a problem or question in your life, you sit down and consciously analyze the facts. What are all of the different components of your problem? How does the problem impact your life and your goals? How could you potentially solve it? Are there different ways to solve it?
After spending just a bit of time actively thinking about the problem, you simply let it go and trust that your subconscious will help you determine an answer. Often the answer will come in the form of inspired thought when you least expect it and usually when you are not thinking about your problem at all.
Since implementing this, I have had one inspired thought after another and many of the ideas have been huge for me in terms of making advancements in my business or even personal life. I think the more we all learn to trust that higher side of our personality, the easier we will be able to access information that can help us produce amazing results.
Justin Popovic´s last [type] ..Make Time to Create a Memory
Hi Justin,
I have not heard of Maxwell Maltz, but I can relate to what you have described. I have heard many people say things like “you need to take a break” or “if you step away from this problem for a while the answer will just come to you”. There are even artists (some very well known) who believe that God gave them their art. I even heard one rapper say that her lyrics about beating up another girl (can’t remember why) came from God. Hilarious. Who knows, but it is certainly possible that they just had a bit of time to allow their subconscious work on the problem.
I like this idea & am going to look into Mr. Maltz. Funny name, but he does seem to know something (to me, and it seems like i agree with him on this so of course I think he is smart…too much analyzing. Time for dinner).
I appreciate you stopping by Justin
Mark,
I am glad your wife and you talk and work out the solution to a possible issue. I also find that sometimes, talking, explaining to someone who will not judge us back can help us think clearly and solve our own problems and issues.
Sometimes problems looks big, until we break down and see it in smaller chunks, resolution can be easily thought of. Good question to ponder.
By the way, why your blog is called ice blue banana, I thought I would find it in about page but did not see it. Curious. like the name btw.
Preeti @ Heart and Mind´s last [type] ..No Spend Month Challenge- Update 1
I agree about working things out with someone who does not judge. It helps to just be able to talk through something. Often I find that I do not even need help making a decision by the time I am done explaining the problem. But, it is always good to get another person’s opinion, especially someone you can trust.
Ha. The number one question I get is about the name. Perhaps I should put that in the about page (which I recently learned really needs to be updated). The name came from some simple word association and alliteration. Really, I was just trying to come up with something I could remember. That is one of the subjects I talked to Hulbert about.
Have a great day!
Yeah Mark,
I finally learned from your interview with Hulbert, now mystery is solved. But I liked how you got blue ice to blue and banana from B, neat. I think it is a great catchy branding name! everyone will remember it because it is so unique and catchy at the same time.
I had to hear your interview in 2 part and was waiting for Little P to sleep off so I can finish it
It was worth the wait and learn a lot about you.
Preeti @ Heart and Mind´s last [type] ..No Spend Month Challenge- Update 1
Twitter: LouisSelvon
said:
Hi Mark,
Well as I am the main person at home, I rely mostly on myself when making decisions and solving problems.
When solving problems, depending on what it is, I look at the big picture, and all parties involved. I get advice from close ones but the end outcome and approach is decided by me.
I don’t think that there is a right and wrong way to problem solving, but the approach taken is quite important.
Louis
Louis´s last [type] ..Article Marketing Automation Review – The Recommended Backlinking Tool For Internet Traffic Building From Search Engines
Hi Louis,
You make a good point. Ultimately, any decision you make is yours and yours alone. We have to be willing to take the good or bad results of our decisions. And, you are right about the approach being the important despite the need for different methods in different situations.
Very nice. Have a great day!
The problem with most of our problems is that they are not really problems. There are two points I really want to make. The first is that we often don’t know how lucky we are and worry about relatively minor things. The second is that there is usually a way around our biggest problems.
Anders @ Information About The Internet´s last [type] ..Internet Watch Foundation announces progress on child abuse image takedowns
You make a great point.
Thanks for the visit and have a good day!