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Category: Problem Solving

Moving Forward In Thought

Published on July 30, 2022

Sometimes, what your negative/ demeaning/ hateful thoughts need is a freaking way out.

Moving the thought from the head, through the body, to the hand or mouth, and out into paper/ keyboard/ conversation are all excellent strategies.

Nothing fancy required.

No special journals, questions, or prompts… Just plainly writing/ expressing/ sharing what’s on your mind so as to give your mind space from the thing it’s holding.

It’s not always obvious to people that this works.

They think more thinking is what needs to be done. But, what ends up happening is that the brain becomes overwhelmed with remembering—which throttles its thinking ability and essentially handicaps it from coming up with new thoughts (solutions).

By relieving the brain of some of that info, new space is freed up for fresh thinking that’ll eventually lead to either solutions or releasing (which is sometimes all we really need).

Don’t underestimate the power of writing, typing, and discussing what’s on your mind. It’s one of the most powerful means for moving forward in thought.

P.s. I asked: “How do YOU stop negative thinking” on Twitter. Here are the answers. I hope they help. 🌱

What to do when you’re feeling lost:

Published on July 18, 2022
  1. Acknowledge that this feeling means you’ve outgrown your old surroundings (physically, mentally, and/or spiritually).
  2. Become acquainted with your new surroundings by courageously stepping into the unknown (it’s the only way to make the unknown, known).
  3. Build connections with anyone and everyone you feel comfortable doing so by initiating conversations (not waiting for conversations to be initiated with you).
  4. Build skills that align with your aptitudes which other people might also find valuable.
  5. Work to make your new surroundings better than you found them. Be helpful. Be kind. Be generous. Be playful. Be loving. Be open-minded. Be inclusive. Be authentic.
  6. Keep exploring, getting lost, and returning to step 1.

P.s. In case you missed it, I shared the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week here.

The Solution Is Out There

Published on July 12, 2022

That big, tough problem you’re facing in your life right now?

There’s an answer for that.

And if you’ve spent more than 5 hours thinking about it (and to no avail on a solution)…

Might I suggest reading cover to cover a highly rated book that was created specifically to solve the exact problem you’re facing…?

It’s definitely out there.

And it’ll likely take you less than 5 hours to read.

Sculpting Legacies

Published on March 13, 2022

The problems of our lives are the very material with which we get to sculpt our legacies.

The harder the problems, the harder the material.

And the harder the material, the longer our legacies have the potential to last.

When you only have to face “soft” problems and you don’t put much effort into shaping them—your life legacy is a wad of Play-Doh.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you opt to face “harder” problems and you work hard to shape them into something remarkable—your life legacy results in something more along the lines of a chiseled statue from marble.

Worth noting: this is not a call to make life as “hard” as possible.

Because without the proper tools, a huge block of marble is unsculptable—and that’s not a legacy worth aiming for either.

The goal is to stop complaining about the material we’ve been given and to start finding ways we can sculpt what we have into something we’re proud of.

Unfortunately, we can’t always change the material we’ve been given: life is wildly unfair in that sense.

Fortunately (especially if you’re reading this), we do have the ability to upgrade our tools and materials to make even harder, more exquisitely detailed sculptures.

Wisdom is the ultimate means for upgrading those tools and materials.

And your life’s legacy is worth an investment into the finest.

The “Right” Places

Published on March 12, 2022

The answers to your problems are out there.

  • Your health problems
  • Your happiness problems
  • Your money problems

You just haven’t looked in the right places.

Looking in the same places and expecting different answers is the strategy of the insane.

One I certainly would not recommend.

Here’s what I’ve learned: looking in the “right” places looks a lot like learning.

  • Opening new books
  • Listening to new thinkers
  • Experimenting with new ideas

Most people open up the same apps, talk with the same people, and buy into the same strategies (that are merely packaged differently) over and over again and expect things to suddenly start going “right.”

The reality is, if what you’re investing your time/ energy/ and attention into isn’t leading you to grow: how can you outgrow your current set of problems?

For what is solving the problems of our lives, but the act of growing?

Problem-Solvers Vs. Solutionists

Published on March 1, 2022

“Don’t be a “problem solver.” Be a “solutionist.” There is a difference. A problem solver spends a lot of time focusing on the problems. A solutionist acknowledges the problem while focusing on assessing the best solutions given the desired outcome.”

Samantha Postman, Twitter

And it’s even more than that for me.

Being a problem solver has a selfish connotation to it.

It confines the person—the solver of the problems—into a mindset where they need to be the one who does the solving.

So, rather than expanding their problem-solving capabilities and ideas to a broader network to include other (maybe more qualified) people and resources, they limit their focus to their own capabilities and resources which becomes a type of hindrance to the solution in itself.

This is where identifying as a solutionist can help.

Solutionists are focused on how they can help facilitate a solution. It’s a more selfless approach that taps into the bountiful resources that are available to each of us at any given moment in time.

It isn’t always easy to do this. Especially for those who see themselves as being great problem-solvers, do-it-themselvers, will-do-anything-to-help-you-ers.

But, how great are you really if you’re hindering the solution process? Or if you’re not helping in every possible way you can? Are you really willing to do anything for others—even if that means pointing them away from you?

Ultimately we can’t make solving problems about us. We have to make it about the act of facilitating more solutions for this world.

Because there will always be plenty of problems to solve.

No need to hog (or hinder) any one of them because of our egos.

Confused? Don’t Be.

Published on February 28, 2022
  • When somebody says something you don’t understand—tell them. You expand your thinking when you understand what’s being said—not when you pretend like you do.
  • When a strong feeling arises that doesn’t make sense to you—speak to/ listen to/ or read from a person who understands strong feelings. Bottling up strong feelings turns them toxic. Sharing strong feelings is how we learn to flow from signal to action.
  • When you’re solving a problem and get stuck—reach out to those who are trying to solve (or have solved) similar problems. When your network expands, not only does your thinking expand from the interactions, but your access to other brains expands which multiplies the total thinking capacity at hand for all involved.

In short: don’t keep your confusion to yourself.

Keeping your confusion to yourself is literally the act of preventing growth.

Reaching out for help when confused may be hard, but it’s the path towards growth.

If we do nothing to expand our thinking, our thinking will never expand.

And expanding our thinking is important because our opportunities in life expand in proportion to the problems we learn how to solve—which only ever fall within the confines of our thinking.