I love to read books on motivation and how to live a better life. I just finished reading The Greatness Guide by Robin Sharma. This book is fabulous! Each chapter is an idea or tip on how to bring your life to “world class”. Some of his tips remind me of Tony Robbins (another brilliant motivator whose work I highly recommend!)
There are many great notions in this book, but one sticks out in my mind. He says, “We can curse the darkness or we can light a candle.” This eloquent phrase so perfectly explains our imperfect strategy of focusing on the problem instead of looking a solution. When you are overwhelmed by a problem it is easy to get lost in it, or play victim to it. You may ask why me? Why is this so hard? You may tell yourself its not fair! Sometimes it seems easier to ignore the issue. You end up alone in the dark with the problem spreading and beginning to affect other areas of you life- after all its easier to function with the lights on!
Next time you are faced with a problem or an issue- give yourself a brief moment to think about the problem then immediately move on to looking for a solution- find a candle! Focus on the solution and you will become more productive and feel less overwhelmed by the ‘darkness’. If you are stuck in a negative place with your weight- don’t focus on food! Instead focus on how to be healthy! Find an exercise plan and implement it. If unhealthy eating is a problem find some healthy meal ideas- then work on another area of your life! If you feel you do not have enough money in the bank, you may be telling yourself that you are ‘poor’ and have to live as cheaply as possible. Perhaps you constantly remind yourself (or your friends) that you cannot afford to participate in activities or buy certain items. Instead focus on finding a candle (or many candles) to brighten your life. How can you bring more cash flow into your life? What career change could you make? What part time job or individual gigs could you do that would increase your income? Where can you save money? After all- the less you spend the more you have in the bank! What free or less expensive activities can you join that will be fulfilling to you?
A final thought- when you are lost in the dark and looking for a candle, even matches bring light. A small, possibly temporary solution can bring relief. At the very least it gives you time to find a better solution, and perhaps it will spill enough light to find the answer. Keep in mind that sometimes we are looking for external solutions, but the answer may lie within. Think to yourself, “can I be the candle?” Would a mindset change help? What skills or resources do you already have, or can you apply in a new way, that will brighten the darkness and solve your problem?