“Don’t be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams.”
Do you consider yourself a “problem-solver”? In some ways, we all are.
But some men and women take problem-solving to a problematic extreme: those who lack the feeling of fulfillment in their lives develop a subconscious, obsessive problem-solving mindset. They eat, breathe and sleep on finding problems in their lives that are in need of solving.
But why? Feeling devoid of a genuine, fulfilling purpose in life, men and women subconsciously develop an impulsive need — an addiction — to finding problems that they perceive to need their solving. This unhealthy behavior exists unnoticed because it operates on a subconscious level. Finding issues and obstacles in their lives provides them with a sense of relief, release and purpose — a reason for living amid the monotony of what feels so unfulfilling.
If the problem so little as exists, then truly it must require some form of remedy or rectification, right? Not necessarily. Problems are inevitably bound to arise in our lives. The biggest problem is when we begin to see life as nothing more than a series of problems that are in need of solving.
A Problematic Purpose: Fueling the Addiction
Conflicts and confrontations occur everywhere: at work and at home, in our friendships and relationships, even occasionally with strangers on the street. When problems arise during the day-to-day of our lives, our first reaction is to set out to solve them: problem-solving is a natural tendency of our social behavior. We plot, we think, we discuss, we wonder, we question, we puzzle… we assess, we equate, we play out, we figure, we determine… We do whatever is in our power and whatever is required to solve that which plagues us.
When an obstacle arises, our natural tendency is to overcome it; that’s a testament to human nature’s willpower to fight, to survive, to persevere. But, when taken to the extreme, each day becomes little else than living from one problem to the next.
These men and women embody pessimism and worry and develop an anticipatory dread; a self-loathing outlook that expects conflicts and confrontations not simply because they are inevitable (such is the nature of life), but because they need problems to solve in order to have a purpose to live.
How to Find a Lasting Fulfillment
Without problems in need of solving, obsessive problem-solvers suddenly lose reason for being: they lose their purpose. Without obstacles and setbacks to overcome, the problem-solver thus begins to create issues, dilemmas and situations that don’t, shouldn’t, or otherwise wouldn’t exist. Obsessive problem-solvers create solve problems not because they are in need of solving, but because without their existence they have no other reason for living. And so the problem-solver’s addiction is fueled.
In order to avoid becoming an obsessive problem solver, we need to understand its origins. A person who depends on problems to retain a purpose in life develops the addiction when he or she already has a deep, dark worry, fear and doubt about his or her life’s purpose and value. Do you?
If you are worried about the so-called “value” or purpose of your life, firstly, you are not alone. Everybody worries about finding fulfillment and embodying a greater purpose at some point in our lives. Don’t create problems just for the sake of solving them. It’s detrimental addiction that fuels a fleeting, unfulfilling sense of purpose that will leave you feeling emptier than before.
The simple remedy is to find a lasting fulfillment. Of course it’s not easy, but finding fulfillment begins by simply exploring and investing proper time, energy and focus into your natural talents, passions, interests and hobbies in life. That which comes naturally to you will provide you with some feeling of serenity, inner peace and contentment. Explore them fully. Break the addiction to finding and solving problems.
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