Have you ever felt overwhelmed by challenges, like they’re much bigger than you are? This is an illusion that plagues many of us, and it has the power to stall any efforts we make to better ourselves and our lives.
It’s true that problems and challenges can be overwhelming, frustrating or downright terrifying. However, your own perception is often the only thing that determines who wins the battle. The very belief that your challenges are larger than you are is what ends up making you feel powerless against them.
One thing that can be helpful is to remember that every problem has a solution. It may not always seem that way, but if you think about it you’ll realize it’s true. You may not know what the solution is right away, and you may have do a little digging or wait patiently for it to reveal itself, but it does exist.
Also helpful is the habit of seeing your problems and challenges as temporary stumbling blocks (rather than giant mountains in your path). When you do this, you diminish their power. No longer are they something you don’t know how to handle, but rather they become minor annoyances that you just deal with and move on from there.
Finally, your own perception of yourself may need to be altered. Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli said, “Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.” This enlightening quote reminds us that only one thing can be “great” (pervasive) in our minds at one time.
If you see yourself as being great (strong, confident, competent), your problems MUST seem small in comparison.
If you choose to see your problems as being huge, larger than life and beyond your control, then by comparison YOU must seem smaller.
Learn to shift your perception of problems and obstacles. Don’t be fooled into thinking that they are larger and more powerful than you are. Instead, see yourself as the powerful one, the person who has the ability to handle whatever comes your way.
Ultimately, that is what will determine the magnitude of your problems and challenges. If you think your problems are horrifying, they will be. If you think they are situations that you simply need to deal with and move on, you’ll do so with barely a hitch in your step.
Of course, this doesn’t always mean your problems will shrink down to the size of a mouse and go squeaking off into the sunset. There will still be large challenges that seem overwhelming and cause you to question your ability to handle them.
If you do encounter a problem that is beyond your control, release it. Stop struggling and fighting and bemoaning its existence in your life and just let it go.
Practice the art of acceptance and see what happens. If you don’t add power to it by obsessing and worrying frantically about it, it just might resolve itself. Try to remain open to creative inspiration because you might call forth a solution you never would have conceived by tensing up and resisting the situation.