Admiring the Problem

Samantha Power, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, said the following.

“We must resist the temptation to spend our time admiring the problem. Rather, we must urgently work for the world we seek.”

Does that resonate? Do you ever find yourself “admiring the problem” instead of doing something about it?

Sure you do. You want to know why?

Because it’s easier.

It’s easier to look at an issue 100 different ways (or one way, 100 different times) than it is to strategize solutions and then take action.

Don’t believe me that you like admiring your problems? Okay. Think of something your partner or your kids or a friend or someone you work with does that drives you absolutely nuts. Have you sat the person down and said, “Hey, can I share some feedback with you? There’s something you do that really irks me, and I want to tell you because you deserve to know.”

Or have you been silent about it?

Maybe you think it’ll be too awkward? Yeah, it probably will. Or maybe it won’t. Who knows? It still doesn’t change the fact that you’re not taking action on something that you might be able to fix.

Now, use that same criteria above and reflect on work, your family, your fitness, your goals, and so on.

Stop admiring your problems. They’re not worth admiring. Start solving for them.