Problems

It occurred to me the other day how much I dislike problems.  I resent them.  But it also occurred to me they seem to be my major way to grow.  I reckon if my learning curve were a graph, it would show a steady rise but when I learn from a problem there is a spike in the graph.
Our shed that is going in has taught me something else.  I well remember the day we put the posts in of a fence that was there previously.  It was the hottest day of the year.  Fortunately, we had done most of what we wanted to do before the mercury went through the roof.  High 40’s.  We have removed the posts now, but I could only admire how well we had put them in the ground.  I had forgotten I needed to remove the cement around the base.  Some posts came out easily and the cement was no problem.  One post though proved more difficult.  It just would not budge.  It really teased us too.  The post would emerge a certain distance but not far enough to remove it.  I smashed the cement with a mallet.  We chiselled and used water.   Finally it emerged, and we dealt with the cement.
Amazing how I remember that one above all others.  It was a problem and needed work.  I feel I learned more from that problem than from all the others which were not a problem.
I can decide that the problem is too much and give up (though in this case that was not an option).  Giving up is counter-productive, and normally means a levelling off of the graph at the very least.  Also, I have found that in most cases if I ignore the problem it does not go away.  On the contrary it tends to raise its head at the most inopportune time.
I enjoy being at ease but too much of it is not really good for me.  In one sense I feel the time I grew up was one of ease.  No wars here, no major outbreaks of diseases.  Hiccups occurred but nothing to change my life dramatically.  It has changed since.  That is not to say there were no problems and others no doubt experienced them big time.  But it seems to me everyone is experiencing them now, rather than a few.
I am big on choice.  I can either experience a problem and decide that is as far as I want to go - or experience the same problem and push though that barrier.  It is up to me really.
Everyone experiences problems.  Mankind is born to trouble.   Not everyone though responds to it the same way.  It has in my mind rightly been said, “the same sun that melts the snow, hardens the clay.”  I can be melted or hardened.  My choice.