On Freeing Yourself of Your Problems

The one day I finally tell myself I will sleep no later than midnight sharp ... I awaken at an ungodly hour, disturbed with thoughts that will simply not let me rest.  So here I am folks, 1 o'clock in the morning,  fingers tap-dancing on my keyboard.

Hello world.

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Over the past few weeks, I have faced a slew of challenging situations.  Problems arose and I had no idea how to tackle them.  I never thought of myself as one to stress.  I'd like to say my plasma levels maintain a steady state of happiness to the nth degree.  But, it is practically inevitable.  At some point, we are deemed to encounter such gnawing complexities - leaving us feeling... well... stressed.  Ahh... Stress.  The million dollar culprit fueling America's home of workaholics and healthy demise.

Wiki will be the first to let you know, stress is the 'body's way to react to a challenge.' 

In its most simplistic and natural state, the cause of your stress boils down to a problem and how you perceive that problem.  A problem, in Hibah's most humble definition, is a self-created complexity at which ignites a state of worry and anxiety.  Before Webster can refute my definition, I will explain.  I do not believe in problems.  I believe in a challenge.  

Yes, there is a difference.

I can tell you, 99.99% of the issues we face daily are self-made.  Yessir, I said it.  You are the sole creator of your problems.  

I'm sorry, what? 

If you are poor, you chose to make money your problem.  If work has stacked papers like sky-scrapers on your desk, you chose to make work your problem.  If your in-laws bug you with daily to-dos, you chose to make family your problem.   You cannot control the situations God puts you in.  Agonizing over the past is simply silly, the past has vanished.  Nor should you stress the unforeseeable future, for you can do nothing but submit to the world that comes to you.  But on a positive note, you do have NOW.  Now is precious.  You have challenges that enter NOW.  So in the now, attack the situation at hand and submit to the results God places.  

I am also at fault here.   We expect happiness and resolution to come to us the next day or the next week or the next month.  We are always expecting time to bring us happiness.  We look forward to tomorrow because we have a preconceived notion that TOMORROW will bring us happy.  But hello, what about the present moment?  You are living each moment for the next moment, never fully are you here in the PRESENT moment!  And by the time the future reach us, it becomes... the present moment.  So really, is there a future, if when it comes to you, it becomes your now? 

A problem arises from a constant state of worrying the unknown.  You think you have a problem!  "Oh my gosh, I have to do XYZ by tomorrow's 5 o'clock deadline."  BUT, what problems are currently present at this current moment?  Really think this through, at this moment... what problem do you have now?  It is likely that you do not have a problem now, but you have a challenge, perhaps pain and possibly even emotions involved.  Now, you can accept the challenge and do the work you need to adhere to your deadline.  What tomorrow brings is another day, not to be stressed over until it becomes your now. 

Free yourself of your -what my friend Eckhart Tolle likes to say- 'problem-making' attitude.  Surrender to what is current.  Take life as it comes to you, one step at a time.  Because when you live in the now, you internally align yourself with the present moment.  Seeing the beauty of what you have now.  

And Now... Now will bring you freedom.  

Be well.