Doesn't it sometimes seem like everyday our lives are just filled with little problems? They are everywhere—our car breaks down, the dog runs away right before work, or we run out of milk. Before long a person can go crazy! But, we get through these inevitable annoyances in our day.

But, how about the big problems? What about deciding to relocate to another area of the country? Or knowing that your business has lost tons of money this month? What about figuring out if you should change careers? These are the types of problems that often bring us to a full stop. We aren't sure what to do. What if we make the wrong decision?

Many of us agonize over our big problems for weeks, even months at a time. We think through every single possibility and outcome that could arise because of this problem. And often times, that is all we ever do. We just think about the problem. We don't do anything about it. We believe, somewhere deep down inside of ourselves, that if we put off the decision-making process just a little bit longer, than perhaps the problem will be magically solved.

There is nothing worse than carrying around a big, heavy problem. It weighs you down and tires you out. You can't ignore it; it's right there on your back, like a 50 lb. backpack. You may try to move on with your life, but it's going to be difficult. Wouldn't you rather take off your heavy load and take a rest? It's easier than pretending that it's not there.

Problems are never solved by ignoring them. Inevitably, we need to take our problems by the horns and wrestle them to the ground. It might be hard work; in fact, you will probably acquire a few bruises along the way. But what is the alternative? You surely don't want your problems knocking you to the ground! So take out your red cape and face those problems head on...YOU are the one in charge! . Most people become paralyzed with indecision when they are faced with a monumental problem. In fact, it is part of human nature. There is a part of us, deep-down, that feels that if we ignore the problem, then it will simply go away. We try to divert our attention to anything else except for the problem staring us straight in the face.

In other words, we give up. We feel that life has gotten the best of us. Basically we see our problem charging at us 100 mph. Instead of standing up to our problem, we allow our problem to knock us down. And after that, we can't get up.

No matter how much we hide from our problems, they ALWAYS find us. So, forget about running, hiding or ignoring...these strategies never work. In fact, they only make the problem worse.

The first step in solving a problem is to clearly define the problem. We need to admit that we have this problem. Believe it or not, most people don't even do this much! People tend to use the "ignoring strategy" and it never, ever works.

Second, you need to put yourself in control of your problem. You cannot allow the problem to control you. Researchers have found that whenever people feel that their lives are beyond their control, their life satisfaction is reduced by 40%. That means that you have no choice but to use strategies that will solve your problems and put you back in control of your life.

Third, you cannot allow your problem to consume and define you. You are not your problem and your problem is only one very small aspect of your life. This much is true. Many people exaggerate their problems and begin to only see their life in terms of their problem. Never make this mistake...it will be detrimental to your happiness.

Scientists have found that happy people see problems as temporary, solvable and isolated. Unhappy people view problems as all-consuming and a definition of who they are. Work very hard to see your problem realistically. Of course your problem may be monumental. It may be a very difficult problem to solve. But there are other aspects of your life.

In order to be truly happy, you will need to directly address the problems in your life. And unfortunately, as one problem disappears, another will surface. Such is the nature of life.

We all must realize that problems are indeed a part of life. Your life will never be problem-free. That is impossible. Instead, you will need to accept the fact that there will always be a problem to solve. Some of these problems will be small, some will seem enormous.

Our goal is not to hope that problems will not come our way. For problems will always be making their way to our doorstep. Our goal is to learn how to react to our problems. We need to understand that we are in charge of how we will approach the problems in our lives.

How you decide to solve your problems is up to you. No one else can do it for you. You can ignore the problem and pretend that it's not there. You can run from the problem and hope that it

doesn't catch up to you. Or you can hide from the problem and hope that it doesn't find you. OR, you can take control of your problem.

As a final thought, I want you to know that I truly believe that there is a solution for every problem. The solution may be difficult, but there is a solution. There is no problem in our human lives that cannot be solved if we dedicate our energy to the solving of it.

Nothing is impossible. If you believe that from the bottom of your heart, then it will happen. You simply have to be the driving force behind the solving of the problem.