I WAS THINKING THE OTHER DAY ABOUT ONE OF MY ALL-time favorite heroes, Sherlock Holmes. I’ve always liked the way he analyzes every single crime. His forte is asking the questions that nobody else is asking—questions like, “What if there were two murderers instead of one?” It is amazing how the police chief was always so surprised!
You know what? Sherlock never had to prove there were two murderers; he only had to ask the question, and doors were opened. He takes the same evidence everyone has and looks at it in a new way.
The same thing can be applied to our lives, although hopefully not because we’re trying to solve a murder! We all have our own individual problems, but if we put on our Sherlock Holmes hats, ask questions, and look at them from different perspectives, we may find those problems are self-imposed.
What if I told you there is a simple way to solve all your problems by changing just one aspect of your thought process? Sounds too good to be true, right? But let me tell you a story that shows how it works.
After college, I volunteered at the Crisis Center, a mental health agency in Birmingham, Alabama, for a couple years. People in crisis would call the help line, and we would serve them as best we could. We were taught to deal with just the individual caller. We weren’t supposed to deal with a spouse, brother, sister, mother, or father. It was only the caller. We phrased our questions directly toward that person: “What can you do? What do you think? How do you feel about this?”
We found this to be very powerful when dealing with emergency situations. But the thing is, it gives rise to the one idea that can change everything for you. Ready for it?
Become your own problem.
Yes, you read that right! This may be tough for you perfectionists, but stay with me. Start thinking, I am the problem. I am the problem. I am the problem. When you do that, you take the outside circumstances and bring them inside. Suddenly, you have power.
If you assume that you are the victim, you lose power. You shut down all creativity. But when you bring it inside yourself, now the ball is in your court and you can do something about it. You have control. See the switch?
Remember, it is a thinking process, not a feeling process. Some people may say, “Well, I don’t want to be the problem. That feels very negative.” But it’s not. It is really good news! If you’re the problem, you can solve it. So assume the responsibility, own the difficulty, and I guarantee you will create a solution.
What one struggle are you thinking of right now that you would love to magically solve? You are about to solve it.
Play along . . .
If you were transported one year into the future, looking back, how would you advise yourself right now?
How can YOU become the problem in this situation?
Now that YOU are the problem, what changes will you make?
Step away from the situation. Think with your head. Don’t feel with your heart. Be honest.
I know you just came up with the solution! Now act on it.