I have always held the firm belief that our everyday experiences are in a position to teach us lessons of great depth regarding life. The other day, I experienced one situation (the famous toilet dillema) that really made me reflect on how most of the time we manage our problems.
Imagine: You are all snuggled up in bed, lying down to sleep, when suddenly nature beckons. It is cold outside your comfortable cocoon, yet you make the decision to ignore it. "I'll be asleep soon anyway," you tell yourself, but you know that won't be the case. You thrash about for two hours, fighting your body's needs. Then you finally relent, don the slippers, and rush to the bathroom. You might have been sleeping blissfully all that time if only you'd taken care of business when first called upon.
This scenario got me pondering about all the times we put off dealing with issues in our lives. It could be something as trivial as sand in your shoes or as serious as workplace harassment. I've realized that no matter the scale of the problem, addressing it promptly is crucial. I think most of us fall into this trap, hoping our problems magically go away if we ignore them long enough. But as I said, it rarely does. Instead, in my experience, unresolved issues seem to grow and slowly eat away at peace of mind, stealing focus from the things that really matter.
Oh how we've frequented a primary reason for ourselves: excuses.
We rationalize our inaction by saying things like, "It's not that bad," or "I'll deal with it tomorrow." And then the days spill over into next week, the weeks into next month, and sooner than you know it, there we are, carrying all sorts of unresolved problems.
I've learned that more often than not, the best action is to act right away, even when it's uncomfortable. It's like ripping off a band-aid, a moment of discomfort, then relief. Be it standing up to a bully, finishing a long-overdue assignment, or having an awkward conversation with someone close to you, I believe we're always better off facing things sooner rather than later.
Well, if you could ask me, life is too short to spend time on and energy over problems we have powers to fix. Every moment spent worrying about a problem is part of life lost, which we can live or strive towards what we desire. Then I believe that once we react positively towards the troubles in our way, much more smoothly and fulfilling can be life's journey.
I mean, of course it doesn't always work that way. Some problems are so tricky; any solution requires time and effort. Still, I guess the principle remains roughly the same: first, acknowledging that there's a problem; second, making a plan; and third, taking that first move toward its solution. Although we might not readily be able to fix everything right away, at least perhaps getting the ball rolling may help shift some of that weight off our shoulders.
Finally, it's how we deal with our problems that gives quality to life. Being handy with our troubles makes all the difference so that better control of our circumstances isn't taken over by our circumstances. But for me, that means building resilience, fostering personal growth, and creation in life, whereby at all times, we are held back by things not solved. So next time an overwhelming need hits you to delay tackling a big or little problem, just remember the Toilet Dilemma.
Ask yourself: Is temporary discomfort worth possible long-term relief? In my experience, this answer is almost always yes.
