How many times do you take something at face value, without questioning or digging a little deeper? Do you look at a problem and think “I don’t have time to figure this out” or “why isn’t this working?” and just skim over it? I have been guilty of such behavior. The beauty is in looking at a problem over and over and eventually realizing that there was a simple solution all along. This builds a desire to question the next “problem” that comes along, until it becomes second nature to question everything that seems to block one’s progress.
“Knowledge is having the right answer. Intelligence is asking the right question.”
The solution to a problem is always there. It may not be what we think it will be or want it to be, but it is present. When we take the time to “dig deeper,” solutions become apparent and life runs more smoothly for a moment.
We have a spray hose on our kitchen sink. It always stuck every time I tried to use it. It wouldn’t pull up and allow me to spray. Each time I’d try I never understood why it did this. After months of this annoyance, I witnessed my cleaning lady using it quite easily. When I asked how she did that, she said it was just getting caught on the drain below the sink. Lo and behold, I looked under the sink to see the issue. Though embarrassing to admit, I just never thought to look beneath the surface of this problem. There was a simple solution all along. Now I can use the device effortlessly and happily. Whenever it does get caught, I know what to do.
“Effective questioning brings insight, which fuels curiosity, which cultivates wisdom.” — Chip Bell
Another example of this happened when using my dental floss. Normally the floss cuts off easily. My last container just wouldn’t cooperate and I fought with it each day just to get a piece out. Not allowing time for “problem solving,” I just carried on with this minor exasperation, thinking “why won’t this work?” One day I decided to take a moment and question this nuisance. I saw that there was a buildup of the wax string around the cutting area. After cleaning out the buildup, I pulled the string out and, yep, you guessed it: easy access to what I needed, and a functional cutting area. These two simple scenarios reminded me about the bigger picture of questioning problems that arise. Don’t let things go just because it seems easier—when in fact such problems are creating more friction than necessary. There is a smoother road beneath the surface.
“The meaning of life is to give life meaning. Turn your can’ts into cans and your dreams into plans.” — Sabrina Dickens
I have a friend who has struggled with not being consistently happy. He recognized his behavior and the effect it had on himself and those around him. He realized he was blaming his condition or outlook on his reaction to others. When he didn’t agree with something, he was letting it affect his genuine happiness rather than accepting that it was simply someone else’s opinion or action, and that he had a choice in how he reacted to it, regardless of whether he agreed with it. After questioning this negativity and where it stemmed from, he saw that he had to own his own behavior and realized that if he wanted to experience more happiness, he in fact needed to make a conscious choice to be happier.
It was beautiful to witness the instant shift and the benefits that resulted from questioning his behavior and choosing to make a difference. While there are still moments of temptation or struggle, his overall happiness factor has increased and he chooses to look at things differently as he works them out.
The heart has questions and answers all at the same time.
Next time you are tempted to let a problem continue to be a problem, question your “why.” Table it if you need to, but don’t let it go and build into a bigger problem or an annoyance. Happiness, ease and flow are just a question and answer away. Happy problem solving!
