PROBLEM SOLVING… SLAY THE DRAGON NOT THE PEOPLE

Go after the problem, not the people.

Face it.
Name it.
Deal with it.

The dragon grows when you feed it delay.
It dies when you move toward it with purpose.

Slay the dragon, not the people.

Go after the problem.

Stay focused and discipline yourself to finish what you have started.

The results can be most satisfying.

Look for your problems and then put them in their place. We are the superior being here and we were not put here to be defeated. Use the fierce winds of resistance to carry you toward success, not failure.

HIDE AND BUY TIME?…NO NO NO

Head-in-the-sand tactics only go so far.

You have to come up sometime.

And when you do…

there sits the problem.

Usually bigger.

Usually stronger.

Usually more expensive.

Why?

Because time can work for you…

or for the problem.

Procrastination may buy you temporary relief, but it also gives the problem room to grow.

Putting it off does not weaken it.

It often feeds it.

PAUSE FOR CAUSE.

If the problem is still waiting when you finally look up…

then hiding did not solve anything.

THE RIVER IN EGYPT…THE NILE

Denial is no better.

What a waste of energy to argue, blame, excuse, defend, and create side issues that only feed the original monster.

One of the best places to begin is with:

THE PART YOU PLAYED.

Or…

THE PART YOU ARE PLAYING NOW.

Do not worry about everybody else yet.

We will get to them soon enough.

First ask:

What did I do?

What did I ignore?

What did I allow?

What can I correct?

What is mine to handle?

That is where the power comes back.

WHAT TO DO?…HERE IT IS

What I am suggesting is that you go TOWARD the problem with Godspeed.

Listen to how anti-conditioning that sounds.

Most people want to move away from discomfort.

I am telling you:

If it is yours to face…

GO TOWARD IT.

The monster is roaring?

Fine.

Approach it.

Study it.

Name it.

Understand it.

Reduce it.

Solve it.

If it has the gall to enter your professional or personal world…

then oblige it with attention.

SWOOSH!

Not the person.

THE PROBLEM.

INFECTS OUR LIVES

Treat a problem like an infection that has raised its ugly head.

It needs attention.

Ignore it and it can worsen.

Neglect it long enough and complications begin showing up.

Problems work much the same way.

A small misunderstanding becomes resentment.

A small bill becomes a financial mess.

A small business problem becomes a customer-service crisis.

A small habit becomes a large one.

The earlier you address the real issue…

the less territory it gets to occupy.

GAME TIME…SUIT UP PEOPLE

Is it easy to take on the intruder that has entered your life?

Maybe not.

But it still has to be done.

Here is a thought:

Get good at problem solving in your own life.

Then, once you develop some mastery, you can help others.

Until then…

SUIT UP.

Put on the armor of:

honesty,

calmness,

objectivity,

discipline,

tenacity,

and common sense.

Then draw your sword and charge toward the dragon problem.

Not toward the person standing nearest to it.

THE WRONG TARGET

This is where people get themselves into trouble.

They attack the person…

and leave the problem sitting there untouched.

Now we have two problems.

The original one…

and the damaged relationship.

Maybe three.

Because now resentment joins the room too.

PAUSE FOR CAUSE.

Before you react, ask:

WHO OR WHAT IS THE REAL TARGET HERE?

The person may be involved.

Fine.

But do not confuse the human being with the issue.

You can correct conduct without destroying dignity.

You can challenge an action without trying to annihilate the person.

That is mature problem solving.

RESISTANCE CAN CARRY YOU

Resistance is not always trying to stop you.

Sometimes it can be used.

A bird uses resistance in the air to create lift.

A sailboat uses wind to move.

Human beings can do something similar with difficulty.

Instead of saying:

“This problem is against me”…

try asking:

“What is this forcing me to learn?”

“What skill is this calling out of me?”

“What weakness is this exposing?”

“What better system is this asking me to build?”

Now the dragon becomes a teacher before it leaves.

That is a better deal.

RICHIE SPEAKS

Here is one Richie rule:

Do not waste your sword on the person standing next to the dragon.

Aim better.

Another:

Procrastination feeds dragons.

Action starves them.

And one more:

The problem may look ten feet tall…

until you walk close enough to measure it.

PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS

From the spirit of Pearls for the Soul:

“Problems often lose power the moment truth and action arrive together.”

From the spirit of God I AM:

“What rises against you may also reveal what has already been placed within you.”

From the spirit of It Is Finished:

“What has been faced, learned from, and completed no longer deserves to rule tomorrow.”

PEARLS INSIGHT

Effective problem solving begins with separating the person from the problem.

Blame, denial, procrastination, and emotional reaction can make a difficult situation larger than necessary.

Clarity improves when we identify the actual issue, acknowledge our own part, gather information, act directly, and adjust as new facts appear.

Problems become more manageable when they are treated as situations to solve rather than enemies to personalize.

PEARLS CONNECTION

This connects directly with GOING AND GETTING PAST THE QUITTING STAGE.

That Pearl asks us not to surrender too quickly.

This one tells us WHERE to aim our persistence.

It also connects with ONE SUBJECT AT A TIME PLEASE.

Dragons look bigger when ten problems are tied together.

Separate them.

Identify the real one.

Handle that one first.

And STRESS CAN HELP OR HINDER reminds us that resistance itself can become useful when we harness it correctly.

FINAL SAY

Slay the dragon…

not the person.

Go after what is actually wrong.

Stop hiding.

Stop feeding it delay.

Stop wasting energy on blame.

Own your part.

Face what remains.

Solve what can be solved.

Learn what needs to be learned.

And when the problem finally falls…

do not stand there admiring the carcass.

Move on.

LOL.

There are other adventures waiting.

And after you become good enough at handling dragons…

some of them may decide your neighborhood is not worth visiting.

— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com