Problem solving

We have a new president today. In my lifetime, there have been 10 presidents. Hard to believe. Men of different character and beliefs, and yet our democracy still stands.

Here what I believe: we need President Obama to succeed for the our country's sake. With all of the problems that we face (terrorism, the economy, health care, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) whether a person is republican or democrat, we need these problems resolved.

I read a by-line the other day that said (in the context of Obama becoming president) "be careful of what you wish for."

My prayer is that President Obama will have the wisdom and courage to lead us during these difficult times. In fact, I encourage you to pray for our President and his team on a consistent basis.

Sometimes our problems overwhelm us like they did a man named Joe.

Before Joe could get out of his house and head for work, he had four long distance calls. Everyone seemed to have a problem. And they all wanted Joe to get on a plane that day and come help out.

he finally told his wife to forget about his breakfast. He rushed out of the house as fast as he could. Then, when he stepped into the garage he discovered his car would not start. So he called a taxi. while he was waiting for the taxi, he got another call about another problem. Finally, the taxi came and Joe rushed out, piled in the back seat, and yelled, "All right, let's get going."

"Where to you want me to take you?" the taxi driver asked.

"I don't care where we go," Joe shouted. "I've got problems everywhere."

Let me give you some thoughts concerning problems:

Problems give meaning to our lives.

In other words, obstacles are conditions of success. A wise philosopher once commented that an eagle's only obstacle to overcome for flying with greater speed and ease is the air. Yet, if the air were withdrawn, and the proud bird were to fly in a vacuum, it would fall instantly to the ground, unable to fly at all. The very element that offers resistance to flying is at the same time the condition for flight.

My problem is not my problem.

There is a difference between a person who has a big problem and a person who makes a problem big.

Most of the time our problems are not our real problems.

Our problem is that we react wrongly to "problems" and therefore make our "problems" real problems.

WHAT REALLY COUNT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO ME BUT WHAT HAPPENS IN ME.

A problem is something I can do something about. If I can't do something about it, it's not my problem. It's a fact of life.

How can we solve our problems?

Let me quote:

"Approach the issue with clarity. This is the first and most important component to problem solving. While action and energy can often assist you in overcoming challenges, this effort is a waste if misguided or misplaced. The first step is always to approach any issue in a clear and logical manner, even if under time constraints or pressure.

Understand the issue. Once you're appropriately focused, you need to run through the problem. What are the components of the issue? What aspects are vital to a solution and which are extraneous? Once you've broken down a problem into its vital aspects, sort through any cause and effect relationships or patterns and cycles at work. Basically, you want have a good grasp of what is going on.

Plan a strategy. After you have a good grasp of the problem, begin to plan out a solution. In most cases this is a simple relationship of cause and effect. In dealing with a problem, you desire to achieve a particular result. Consider what steps must be taken to achieve said result, given the parameters posed by the problem.

Execute your strategy. Once you've outlined logical steps toward your desired result, execute! If you are dealing with an issue such that conditions change upon execution, don't be afraid to reevaluate your strategy. Is something going vastly awry? Approach any new developments in the same logical manner in which you approached the original problem. This is important. You must make a critical decision as to whether or not your plan warrants alteration. Remember, changes in parameters of the issue do not necessarily mean the steps you've outlined will fail! In addition, it is sometimes necessary to execute your original plan fully to gain more insight into the problem. Unless this is a one shot deal, trial-and-error is often an excellent approach.

Evaluate the results. Upon seeing your plan through, consider the result. Optimally, you successfully tackled the dilemma. However, if the results you expect were not achieved, consider your approach. Was there an error in planning or execution? Did new parameters present themselves? Reevaluate in light of these discoveries and approach the problem again. Sometimes you can repeat your original plan if the error was in execution. However, if the parameters have changed then a new strategy is often necessary.

Continue to evaluate and execute. Several attempts may be necessary to solve the issue. Each time, however, keep in mind logic, clarity, and focus. These are the elements that ultimately lead to resolution. Even if you are checked by failure, clear thinking usually leads to a successful resolution."