The man who has no problems is out of the game.—Elbert Hubbard
It’s a formidable foe. When it takes action, everything might be held back.
A blitzkrieg—that is how I view the human problem. Even if we invert the globe, it still exists. It makes our life tougher, more complicated. However, the intricacy of a problem depends largely on those who deal with it. One wrong move can lead to the worst outcome. One sane move yields hope and a chance to be on steady footing. The ball is in our hands.
Problems are there, waiting for the right time to derail our system. They have the power to turn our cognition, emotion and behavior into chaos. As blitzkriegs, problems are silent killers. We don’t know the precise time of their attack. They have no swords or spears, but they can kill. What if we are not prepared at the moment of their coming? Probably it would be a tragedy!
Problems are like silver chains around our neck, causing difficulty in our breathing. Unfavorable circumstances make the situation worse. We can’t eat or sleep well. Our dark thoughts may be so exaggerated that we are close to allowing these problems to ruin our positive outlook on life.
We must always remember that everything happens for a reason. We must consider these troubles in our lives as instruments of strengthening our character. No one will disagree that successful people had to overcome obstacles. They are all admired because of their determination to move forward, to achieve success.
The American inventor Thomas Edison is an example of strong faith and exemplary courage. When he first attended school in Port Huron, Michigan, his teachers complained that he was too slow and hard to handle. Eventually, his mother decided to take him out of school and educate him at home.
By the time he turned 10, Edison had set up his first chemistry laboratory. His inexhaustible energy and genius (which he reportedly defined as “1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration”) produced more than 1,300 inventions. When he invented the light bulb, he conducted over 2,000 experiments before he got it to work.
We can infer that life is a game consisting of levels. Each level may be difficult to deal with, but how fulfilling it is to proceed to other and more levels. We may fail, but we should never lose hope. We should continue—and complete—what we started.
Instead of being tormented by problems, why don’t we consider them as challenges that we can surpass? After all, we have the chances and choices to do so.
Life is too short to be easily devastated by problems. We can always look for the better. If you feel blue, just pray and the burden you are carrying will be lessened. God may not be visually existent, but in our journey He’s always there by our side.
As Helen Keller said, character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
Renz Kevin M. Alcazar, 18, is studying journalism at Cavite State University-Main Campus.