How to Handle Big Problems

With the change of seasons, I thought it would be fun to talk about big problems. A lot of times with a change of season, whether it's a physical change, like going from summer to fall or a change of season, maybe it's your kids leaving for college or losing a parent, there's a change in your life when those changes come, they tend to also come with problems. So I titled this podcast today handle big problems, maybe misleading because what I'm not going to do is give you a list of the top five things to do to handle the big problems in your life. Well, we're obviously going to talk about is how you view things that come into your life that you may perceive as a problem. I came across this quote last week and I want to share it with you. It's from John Maxwell. And it's from the book developing the leader within we are all leaders.

Remember, I'm always saying this we are all leaders. We are all leaders. And as we develop that leader within us think about this. This is the quote from John Maxwell, there is a world of difference between a person who has a big problem and a person who makes a problem Big Think about that. Listen to it again. There is a world of difference between a person who has a big problem and a person who makes a problem big. You see someone who has a problem that is dealing with it effectively is turning that problem into a stepping stone versus the person who takes everything in their life and makes the problem not only bigger and bigger and bigger but longer and longer and longer.

When that problem resolves, they come up with another problem, because they can't get through life without always having some kind of drama in their lives. We know people like that. Maybe you were once like that maybe it's something you're struggling with now, I am guilty as charged. There was a time in my life, where I actually had someone say to me, why is it always an issue with you? It really made me step back and think, oh, my gosh, am I creating these problems in my life? The answer was yes.

Many of us do that many of us know probably all of us know someone who does this. If there's not a problem in their life, they will create a problem so that they can talk about the big problems in their life. But there's a huge difference between people who have big problems that are turning them into stepping stones, and people who make every single problem big and create a problem if there isn't one existing. You see, people can turn, they can make their problems into the center of their lives. And then everything becomes stressful, everything in their lives becomes stressful. When you're focused on problems in your life. Cutting a tomato wrong. Seems like the end of the world. When you are letting problems rule your life, you are allowing stress to rule your life.

Think about people Highly successful people who had huge problems in their life. If we're looking at them, were thinking oh my gosh, they had huge problems and yet highly successful. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Winston Churchill, think about Helen Keller was blind and deaf. Imagine going through life not being able to see or hear total darkness. And yet when she made the connection with her with her instructor with her teacher, with signing, and realizing that those those those Sign Language movements were words, she it opened her up to an entirely new world. And the problem then became a stepping stone to her success and greatness. It is that way with all of us.

Achievers overcome problems. But most people are overcome by their problems. achievers overcome their problems. But most people are overcome by their problems. So what is the difference? What is the difference between someone who turns a problem into a stepping stone and someone who lets their problems completely? Shove them down underground? What is the difference?

The difference is attitude. It's attitude. It's how you look at the problem. It's how you perceive the problem. In the New York Times, there was a quote, If you can smile when anything goes wrong, you're either a nitwit or a repairman or a leader. When you smile when things go wrong. You're focused on repairing the problem. It is all about your attitude. Problems can stop you temporarily, but you are the only one who can do it permanently. You can let a problem slow you down and maybe it will slow you down. When I was diagnosed with cancer back in 2020. It definitely slowed me down. But when I decided to focus on it as a stepping stone as part of my journey that I would get to share. Then it became it became part of my path to success. The thing is most people allow their problems to define them. They allow their problems to stop them permanently and they never get back up. So how to handle big problems. Change your attitude around them. No one can steal your attitude you have to give it away. No one can steal your piece you have to give it away. No one can steal your confidence you have to give it away. No one can steal your greatness you have to give it away. Confidence greatness piece. These all come from within and it is a choice for you to seize them or to give them away. So when it comes to handling big problems, change the way you look at them. Look at them as stepping stones. Look at them as a challenge to growth.

The only problem you have is the one you allow to be a problem because of your your you're wrong reaction to it. This is another quote from John Maxwell this book, the only problem you have is the one you allow to be a problem because of your your wrong reaction to it. Start viewing your problems as stepping stones. Start looking at your problems as challenges. Challenges are fun to overcome. You are an overcomer you are a leader, you do have great potential. We all do. God didn't create junk.

He created you for purpose, on purpose. Do problems come into our lives, difficulties come in. But you get to name them a challenge or a problem that's up to you. Start looking at the things that come in you into your life as a challenge as ways to grow and you will grow. Look at them as problems and they will weigh you down. They will keep you up at night. Start to look at those problems as challenges. Change your attitude towards them. Be thankful for the growth opportunity. And watch how your life shifts and changes for the better. There is a world of difference between a person who has a big problem and a person who makes a problem big. Marie Forleo says everything is figure out double. I absolutely agree. We get to face these challenges, with peace with grace with determination. It's up to you. No one can take those things from you. You would have to give them away. It's all about becoming the great leader that you were created to be. We are all leaders whether you're leading yourself, a family, a church group, an organization, a huge, a huge corporation. We're all leaders to someone, maybe you're the leader of the co workers that you're working with. We all are leaders. With that in mind, I am hosting a six week mastermind called leader shift and I would love to have you be a part of that mastermind. If you send me a message that says mastermind I will send you all of the information on that mastermind.

Create greatness in your own life by looking at your life as a series of stepping stones to becoming the best leader and the best possible version of yourself that you can be. I can't wait to see you in this mastermind we kick off on September 11. So you still have time to get in there and claim your seat. It cuts off at 20 people. We're almost there. So claim your seat today. And let's become great leaders together.

Journal Prompt:

What have you looked at as a problem? And how can you shift your mindset to make it an opportunity? What have you looked at as a problem that you can shift your mindset to create an opportunity?