Got a problem? Good for you!

Many years ago, I worked with a young designer who always reframed problems as opportunities. If the words wouldn't fit on a page, it wasn't a problem, it was an opportunity. If the images we wanted to use weren't just so, it wasn't a problem, it was an opportunity. You get the idea.

We all have problems. Some are big like losing your job or having major health issues. Some are small like getting stuck in traffic when you're late or running out of milk for your coffee. Problems are part of life. It's part of the guarantee that comes with breathing.

Maybe you see yourself as someone with a lot of problems and I'll admit that life can be overwhelming at times. Indeed, a lot can go awry all at once. But if you can just put the brakes on your perception and take a gentle turn toward framing your problem as an opportunity, you might find your journey becomes much more pleasant.

Something has happened and it doesn't feels good. But take a deeper look. Ask yourself some questions to reframe it in a new light. Now that I've lost my job, what else can I do with the free time I have? Now that my weight just tipped up into the next decade, what different foods can I try? Now that I find out I'm not getting into that school, what offerings have I overlooked at other campuses? Now that I'm out of that toxic relationship, what am I doing to take care of myself?

Even so-called good times can present so-called problems. Now that I'm getting married, where will we have a wedding? Now that I've been promoted, what things do I want to initiate at the office? Now that I've finished that big project, what can I work on next?

No matter if we think that what's happening to us right now is a good thing or a bad thing, it's what we do with it that matters. Not taking it personally is a start. And seeing that you always have a choice -- that every event in your life is an opportunity -- can make things ever so much better.