“I get it!” I laughed. “If customers didn’t have any problems, Mighty Power wouldn’t need me. I wouldn’t even have this job!”
Isabel grinned and nodded. “So you can see, in a way, every problem a customer presents to us is really a gift.”

From the book, The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey

Olivia was a lot like you and me. She became frustrated when life didn’t go the way that she thought it “should.” Her wise mentor, Isabel, helped her to realize that the source of her stress and dissatisfaction was her belief that she could live a life free of problems.

How can a problem be viewed as a gift? Here are two examples to consider:

• If you serve customers (internal or external) remember that if things worked perfectly every day, customers would not need to contact you. Your company would have no need for your services.
• Each problem you encounter in life has within it, an opportunity to learn and grow.

The next time you deal with a challenging situation at work or in your personal life, do a quick, honest assessment. Ask yourself: If I could do this over again, what would I do differently?

I know that is hard to do sometimes — accepting that you may be the one who needs to change, not the other person. When I wonder why I’m feeling so frustrated with a situation, I stop to remind my self of the old saying, “The sign of insanity is doing things the same way over and over again and expecting a different outcome.” Then I laugh at myself and vow to be slightly less insane next time.

Share the wisdom,

Barbara Burke
Author, speaker & employee engagement devotee