I exist to resolve issues and solve problems.
Money is only a problem because you make it one.
Not just money, but pretty much anything in your life is a problem to the extent that you allow it to be a problem. Ever notice how something can bother one person, but not the least bit unhinge someone else?
I thought I invented that word, and then I found it in the Urban Dictionary
It's not a problem, it's a problitunity. Opportunity + Problem = problitunity
The flip side of a problem is opportunity.
We don't have a homeless problem, we have an opportunity to create urban campgrounds.
We don't have a problem with war, we have an opportunity for peace.
The problem isn't a lack of work, it's a new business opportunity.
Every day, I look for problems to solve. This stems from my inner drive to help others. I know that till the day I die, no matter how much money I have, I will still have the desire to help others. I think it's a human need we never lose.
The problem is never solved, rather it's dissolved. If we look closely enough, we discover that the problem never actually existed in the first place - we created it! It only appears as a problem because we it's conflicting with our concept of what it should be. If we truly accepted everything and everyone as they are, there'd be no problem.
How do we dissolve the problem?
By seeing the truth that the problem didn't exist until we identified it. And there lies the actual problem - identification is only a concept - one that is often filled with error. Our ability to accurate identify the problem is limited by what we know... and the truth is - we don't know what we don't know - and this keeps perpetually stuck trying to solve a problem that never actually existed in the first place.
Let me give you an example...
An author identified a problem that they didn't have an ISBN for their eBook. What they 'didn't know they didn't know' is that eBooks don't require an ISBN! They were misinformed that they needed one in the first place. This is one if the problems of doing too much research. If they had actually started publishing their eBook, they would have discovered it was not required. But instead, they spend time trying to solve a problem that never existed in the first place.
It's like being given a wrong address. We are trying find something that doesn't exist.
This is why I'm a big fan of Learn, Do, Teach. More often than not, the work will teach you how.
The truth of the problem? It arose when we (or someone else) first identified it. It's not a problem until someone labels it as such. How does a problem arise? More often - it's rooted in conflicting concepts.
What constitutes a problem worth solving?
When there's tension, look at the cause of the tension. To relieve the tension, sometimes you need to act... but other times, you need to let go.
Every day, the problems I face provide me with an opportunity for growth. The give of the problem is the opportunity to expand outside my comfort zone to the extent that I willingly accept new challenges.
Within every challenge is a seed of opportunity. The more seeds I plant, the more we have to till the land watch your crop flourish.
Problems are the seeds that bloom opportunity.
My soul is the caretaker for the challenger.
To challenge something is to take it on.
What follows problems are challenges. To take on a challenge is to work the soil around the seed (the problem). Growth happens as a result. If the problem seed is planted, yet you fail to work the soil (take on the challenge), it's unlikely the seed will ever germinate.
Some seeds take years of care before they germinate.
You are paid to the extent that you solve other people problems.
I see challenges as the opportunity to try something I've never done before. Whether I succeed or fail isn't what matters. What matters is that I did not bow down from the challenge. All that matters is that after acknowledging the problem, I took steps to address it.
Identifying problems without suggesting solutions is called complaining. Nobody likes a complainer.
Alan invites us to see beyond habitual patterns of overthinking and problem-solving, presenting life as a series of interconnected events rather than isolated issues.
Alan Watts challenges the view that life is a constant problem to be solved, suggesting that this mindset leads to unnecessary struggle and neurotic behavior. Instead, he proposes seeing life as a set of interdependent events, not as individual challenges or problems driven by survival instincts or independent forces. Watts argues that much of what we perceive as "problems" are ghosts - they are illusions based on limited understanding or a lack of awareness of the full transactional nature of existence. By viewing ourselves as part of an interconnected whole, we begin to shed these illusions, revealing a simpler, more harmonious way of being.
Reflect on moments of worry or frustration and ask, “Is this a real problem, or is it a ‘ghost’?” This shift in questioning helps to let go of unnecessary stress.
The majority of the 'weight' of the problem lies in imaging a future that hasn't happened. Or it could be hanging on to something in the past that we can't change - something we often give more weight to than is warrented.
Instead of labeling events as ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ practice observing what is happening around you. This could be done through meditation or journaling, helping you become aware of patterns rather than reacting to them.
Study the concept of “transactional relationships.” Consider how your actions, choices, and roles are connected to your surroundings, and recognize that life’s events are woven together.