Problems Are Opportunities

This teaching from The Quran and the Life of Excellence changed my life: God is like a coach in
the gym who wants me to jump over the bar. He sets it high enough so that I will hit the bar and
fall, until I figure out how to jump higher.

Problems and hardships are an inevitable part of life. They are indeed a sign of life. We will only
stop having problems when we stop having life. Once we accept this reality, we can move
forward and change how we view our problems. Problems have purpose and meaning. They are
not random and they are not Gods punishment. They are placed by God in our lives for our own
benefit and growth. Through problems we expand, become stronger and rise to a higher level.
Once we ingrain this belief deep within ourselves, our lives completely change.

Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed explains it wonderfully: Those who make a big difference in the world
think of their problems as opportunities and go after them. Those who fail in life think of their
problems as punishments and shrink away from them.

If we believe that God is Most Merciful, Most Compassionate and is our Sustainer, it is easy to
also believe that problems exist for our benefit and always come with solutions. And therein lies
the key to our growth:

And behold, with every hardship comes ease. Indeed, with every hardship comes ease (94: 5-6).
This aya tells us that with the problem comes the solution. The solution is not separate from the
problem. For example, if my problem is that I hate my meaningless low-paying job, the solution
is to find a meaningful one that compensates me adequately. It is not easy, of course, to attain this,
but the process of getting there will cause me to grow tremendously as an individual. And with
faith, effort, sustained focus and determination, I will succeed.

The problem itself, if we learn to focus on its possible solutions and lessons, holds the key that
will free us from it. If I didnt mind that my job were meaningless, I would never start thinking
of possible new jobs, and I would remain complacent and stagnate.

However, it is important to be aware that if we wallow on the problem itself, instead of directing
our energy to the potential solutions, and we lament constantly about how miserable our job makes
us rather than confronting it by taking action, thinking of ideas and seeking other work, the
negativity will attract more negativity and keep us stuck where we are.

A very powerful exercise to change the way we think is: Whenever you think of a problem in
your life, immediately switch to thinking about possible solutions.
Say to yourself:

What will be the positive outcome if this difficulty is resolved?

What can I do to make this situation better?

Who can help me to resolve this difficulty?