Problems: Finding the Hidden Gems WithinSample

Day 2 - Problems and Perspective (See difficulty differently)

“You need a new pair of glasses.” This is what the optometrist told me when I went in for an eye exam.

I was sort of surprised and asked him, “Why?”

He replied, “Because your eyes need more help for long distances.”

I’m getting older and so are my eyes. My current glasses needed to be upgraded so I could see what I needed to see.

This same principle rings true for problems.

Your perspective needs to shift. It needs to get upgraded. If you want to see problems differently, you will need to change how you see problems.

I love how Tony Robbins addresses problems.

Ask, “What can I learn from this?”

Ask, “What is this teaching me?”

In the film Moneyball, the Oakland Athletics endure some bad years of baseball. Like many smaller market baseball teams, it’s hard to compete against large market teams like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

Players like the big market teams, and they like the big market pay. This was a problem for the Oakland Athletic baseball team. They wanted to win but couldn’t get the right mix of talent and money.

However, they leaned into the problem. They changed their perspective of the problem. They searched for other ways to solve the problem, and eventually, they did.

Instead of searching for big-name players, they used data to attract the right players. The shift in their perspective not only saved them millions of dollars but brought in great talent at a great price to help them win.

Let’s quickly look at some Biblical examples of problem solvers.

Joseph not only interpreted Pharaoh’s dream but solved the problem of the dream by creating a strategic economic plan.

The Israelites feared Goliath, but David saw it as a problem to solve.

Many in the area of the Gadarenes feared a demon-possessed man who could not be chained, but Jesus went there anyway. He solved the problem by casting the demons out.

What problems do you need to see differently?

What problems in your business do you need to see differently?

What problems in your personal life do you need to see differently?

What does it feel like to have those problems eliminated?

What do you need to do to make that happen?

When will you start?

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite verses in James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

I’m rooting for you.

I’m praying for you.

God bless.

Anthony Thompson