The Problem is Not the Problem

“The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem” ― Captain Jack Sparrow from the movie series, Pirates of the Caribbean

One of the reasons I like to go flying is that it helps to bring perspective to the world.  When you are thousands of feet above the ground looking down on the traffic, buildings and farm fields, it makes you lessen the weight of a problem.

We all face problems in our daily lives.  Some are small and trivial, others are more troubling, significant and seemingly insurmountable.  Yet somehow we keep going, trudge on, continue on our day and still continue to make the positive impact on the world that we want to.  These problems do not always go away, but through our perseverance we try to let them not take control of our lives.

As the quote from Captain Jack goes, it’s about your attitude towards the problem, not the problem itself.  Have you ever considered that you make two problems out of one when you worry or fret about a problem?  Sure, there’s the problem that manifests itself in the first place, but when you worry about the problem, you’ve just created a new problem; worry.  It’s no wonder our problems sometimes overtake us, they are literally multiplying before our eyes and growing exponentially as we worry about the first problem and then worry about the worry.  And when we’re worried, we’re not thinking rationally and often miss the opportunities to resolve the problem as our fight or flight instincts kick in and limit our field of vision.  Doesn’t it seem though, that humans are the only ones that have this tendency?  Your dog doesn’t seem to needlessly worry about his problems.  He just deals with whatever the situation is and moves on not letting things compound on themselves.

We face countless problems in animal rescue on a daily basis.  Animals that have limited time before they are euthanized, rescue relay transport legs that if not filled, could cause the entire transport to fail, and that overwhelming sensation that what we are doing is just a drop in the bucket, a ripple in the pond or a snowflake in a blizzard.  There’s drama and heartbreak, and nothing is every easy.  But, if we let our worries about the first problem take control of our ability to focus, we are limiting our potential to find the solution or to pursue an alternative way of thinking.

So I’m challenging you to choose to control the problem or situation.  Choose to not be overcome with worry or doubt and to keep your mind at peace.  Choose to remember that every action you take may not have the outcome you want, but that it is well-intended to help save animals and for that, I appreciate you.