I am my problem, I am my solution…

 

I am my problem, I am my solution...

Wow! what a beautiful and positive thought for life. I read this somewhere, and it made me realize how deeply meaningful this sentence is. If one tries to implement it in life, we can achieve so much more. Recently, I also came across another thought: when you boil water and put a potato in it, it becomes soft; but if you put an egg in the same boiling water, it becomes hard. Here, the water is the common element, but it doesn’t decide the outcome. The result depends on how each one responds to the challenge. The essence is, don’t let situations harden you, let them reveal your strength. Be natural, be who you are. The moment you start changing according to the situations around you, you unconsciously start adding layers of problems. Many times, you flow into this without even realizing it, and one day you end up asking yourself, “How did this happen?”

We recently saw a patient who was a very good singer. She came to us with an issue in her voice, she couldn’t reach the higher pitch for a few months. She had recurrent health issues and was on medication for a long time. Her medicines caused dryness, and coupled with stress, it started reflecting in her voice. She had visited a doctor earlier, who told her that everything with her voice was fine and that it might be neurological, as tremors were noticed in her voice. That comment made her wonder, “Do I have a problem with my brain?” This thought disturbed her further, and her voice deteriorated. Now, who can change one’s own perception?

The moment we explained things to her, and she began narrating in the correct manner, her tremors reduced drastically. Now, who is to be blamed for this? Sometimes, without realizing, we make our own problems worse. Another patient had tinnitus in his ears. He had hearing loss in both ears due to fixation of the bone. One side was operated on, and over time, he began to feel the other side was not hearing well, which worsened his tinnitus. He started searching for every solution on Google, and whatever he read about tinnitus, he started experiencing. Any time a doctor explained something, his anxiety increased, and so did his tinnitus.

I told him, “First, stop searching on Google. Google gives general explanations, but that doesn’t mean everything written there applies to you. Every individual is different, and how each perceives things is also different.” This constant confusion in the brain only makes you struggle more, wondering what is right or wrong with yourself. I asked him, “Why don’t you leave this thought process to the expert?” He was a chemical engineer working in a chemical plant, so I explained, “In your plant, you know everything because you are the expert. Similarly, in the field of tinnitus, let the expert guide you towards the best solution.” Sometimes, when we try to solve a problem without proper expertise, we end up creating more problems.

Life is strange. We are born with nothing but our brain, we learn and fight for everything in life using that brain, and when the time comes, we leave this world again with nothing, only with our brain. Yet, throughout life, we keep struggling with our own problems and searching for solutions. Many times, even after trying hard, we don’t find the answers. That is when God says, “Take a different direction and move on. Maybe this was not destined for you, and that itself is the best solution.”

Once, Lord Krishna was asked, “Who is greater, God, or the destiny written by God?” Lord Krishna replied promptly: “I loved Radha, Meera loved me with devotion, but I was destined to be with Rukmini. So now you know who is greater.” Sudama was poor, yet he was Lord Krishna’s best friend, but still, he had to live a poor man’s life. The day he offered a handful of rice to Krishna with pure love, he overcame all the challenges of his life. Problems are sometimes created to test us, and solutions are given by the Almighty to guide us towards a better life. I was also thinking about how every year Lord Ganesha’s idols are created by so many artists. Each year, they come out with new creativity, and yet, without fail, the idols are beautifully crafted. Isn’t it amazing? Surely, the artists must face many problems while making them, but it is Lord Ganesha who directs them to solve those challenges.

Many times, problems exist only in our perception. The solutions are within us, but we fail to recognize them. My hearing-impaired friends, the children I spend most of my time with, constantly teach me this. They have one sense organ less, yet they find the best solutions to communicate with people. They don’t cry about their problem, they fight, they find solutions, and they move on. Then why do we humans trap ourselves in problems and waste most of our time searching for solutions? Life is simple, but we complicate it with our thought process.

In the end, life always reminds us that while problems may appear in countless forms, the true power to overcome them lies within us. Situations do not define us, it is our response, our faith, and our willingness to seek the right guidance that shape the outcome. When we stop complicating things, accept challenges as lessons, and trust both ourselves and the divine, solutions begin to unfold naturally. The moment we realize “I am my problem, and I am my solution,” life becomes lighter, purposeful, and far more beautiful.