Important Update and Bipolar? Solve Your Problems This Way
Published: Sun, 08/09/09
Hi ,
I hope this is a good day for you.
I actually have to go to New York
today. The good news is I am taking
supposedly a short cut. 99% of the
time I take short cuts they turn into
long cuts. Hopefully not today : )
Anyway, I am going to a seminar to
learn some things to help reach more people
dealing with bipolar disorder.
Before I got, I wanted to talk about
why I am stopping daily emails on Saturdays
and Sundays.
Basically sending the daily email takes
a ton of time. People think it's done by
someone else, a company or a computer
program. It's done by me.
Over I think three years, I have never taken
a day off from doing it.
The daily emails require a lot of thought,
creativity, planning and setup.
So, if I skip these two days it will
give me some well needed rest and also
allow me to work on other stuff that goes
along with building and managing
this fast growing organization.
After much thought and talking to a whole
lot of people, we agreed this is the best decision.
This doesn't mean however that I will never
send an email on Saturday or Sunday. If there
is something really important I will.
If you have any question in this, please post
them on my blog below.
Okay enough with that, now on to today's topic.
There's a funny joke about two men
that I just have to share with you.
One man is telling the other one
about all his problems, detail by
detail, going on and on with his
sad story, complaining... and then
complaining some more.
Every time the other man thought
the first man was going to stop, he
would go on about another problem
he had.
Until the second man just lost his
patience.
So he stomped on the first man's foot,
really hard.
"Ouch!" the first man said, "Why
did you do that? That really hurt!"
"Well, said the second man, it got
you thinking about something other
than your problems for a minute,
didn't it?"
----------------------------------------------------------
It's sort of a funny way to get into
today's topic:
A different way of looking at your
problems.
Because obstacles and problems are
just a part of life, for all of us.
Some people just pretend they don't
exist - they try to totally ignore them
(but, of course, the problems don't
just go away - in fact, they get larger).
Others just complain about their
problems - to anyone who will listen.
Some procrastinate their problems
until they have a mound of them, and
then they're totally overwhelmed by
their problems.
And still others expect someone else
to solve their problems.
But the single element connecting these
four types of people is that they take
NO action to solve their problems.
Effective problem-solving is crucial
to healthy living itself, much less
living with bipolar disorder.
That's why I teach it in my courses:
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
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HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
Then there is the person who
proactively solves their problems.
They are solution-oriented.
Of these people came the saying,
"The impossible just takes a little longer."
These are the type of people that
might try the problem-solving
approach I want to teach you today.
The principle comes from "Don't
Sweat the Small Stuff," by Richard
Carlson, M.D.
I read this, and thought it was an
absolutely revolutionary way to
look at our problems!
Read what he says:
"True happiness comes not when we
get rid of all of our problems, but
when we change our relationship
to them, when we see our problems
as a potential source of awakening,
opportunities to practice patience,
and to learn."
That's what I want to talk about today.
Obviously we can't solve all our
problems.
But we can solve most of them.
But we have to take a different approach
toward them.
Ignoring your problems, pretending they
don't exist, procrastinating them,
complaining about them, or expecting
someone else to solve them for you is
just not realistic.
If you do any of those things, you will
find that your problems will multiply and
NEVER get solved until you finally
decide to take action on them.
But let's talk about this new approach to
solving your problems -
Carlson's idea of having a relationship
to your problems.
I've also heard it called "owning your
problems."
It's the same principle.
What the principle is, is taking
responsibility for your problems.
Then, it's your approach to your problems.
If you look at your problems as an
opportunity for growth, a chance to learn,
then you'll have a positive approach to
solving them.
You won't be so intimidated by them,
and then you can be in control of them,
instead of them being in control of you.
Then you can be proactive, and be an
effective problem-solver.
How do you approach your problems?
Are you an effective problem-solver?
Have you grown by overcoming the
obstacles and problems that you've
faced in your own life?
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Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
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