Troubles, like babies, grow larger by nursing

"Troubles, like babies, grow larger by nursing" -Lady Holland

Babies need care to survive and grow. They have to be fed, bathed, clothed and carried every single day. Without these, they would die of infection or starvation.

Like babies, problems need nursing to survive and grow.

How to Nurse Your Troubles

Here are two ways to we nurse our troubles.

1. Feeding problems with time
2. Feeding problems with imagination

Feeding Problems with Time

The favorite food of Problems is TIME - like weeds in a garden, if left untouched, usually problems do not go away - they grow larger! Ignoring problems until they become too big to handle is a habit most people have.

Feeding Problems with Imagination

We feed our problems when we blow them out of proportion with our imagination. Picture two distant objects. One to your left. The other to your right.  From where you stand, they both are the same size.

As you walk towards the one on your right, it becomes bigger. And the one on your left slowly becomes smaller until it disappears completely from view.

When you focus on the problem instead of the solution, the problem seems bigger than it actually is.

Instead of focusing on what resources you lack, focus on what you can do with your current skill-set, relationships etc. Instead of focusing on what might lose, focus more on what you stand to gain.

One Punch, One Kill

Years ago, a Karate Black Belter told me a scary but effective way to win most fights with a single punch.

He said, "If you must fight, make sure you throw the first punch because the person who throws the first punch often wins." 

When I asked why, he responded, "It works because throwing a surprise first punch destabilizes the opponent. It also boosts your confidence."

I wasn't convinced and so he said, "Look. Even if your opponent beats the crap out of you, you'll feel much better because you've at least landed one solid punch."

How to Starve Your Troubles to Death

Learn to throw the first punch as soon as a challenge presents itself. This immediately cuts short its supply of food - Time and Imagination!

Before your fears, thoughts and worries take over, take a jab at the problem.

Note: You don't have to solve the entire problem immediately.

Take a small action immediately, instead of later and you will be glad you did.

You would be more likely to solve the entire problem this way because you have already taken the hardest step of that problem - the first one.

To your success.

PS: Feel free to share this article with those who would benefit from it.