When Necessary, Go Deep Inside

How much of that difficult problem is our own doing?

Do you remember the last time you caused yourself your own problem? I seem to do it enough that it's like a secret power: cue up the situation, make it more complicated, then dig my way out.

I've learned to check in on what part of the problem I have contributed to. Rather than blaming someone else (they don't want the blame and it's probably not true anyway) it's better to see how the problem is built of smaller pieces and that some of those pieces came from your closest source: yourself.

Think it thru, I tell myself, think it thru. Breathe. Figure it out. What did I do to create this situation and what can I change to improve or solve it?

Problem solving sometimes requires a level of self-examination we are reluctant to try. But sometimes going deep inside is the only way out.

-- doug smith

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