Story of my life: Problem solving

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

Problems are like questions that need some answers. They are propositions that necessitate something to be demonstrated, and an innate gesture in reacting to failures and rejections (Navarro, 2004). All of us are inclined with different problems with our family, officemates and friends. Each of us has unique ways in handling such problems and we tend to learn lessons from every failure and successes that we achieve. Every experience that we have brings out the best solution to every problem. I want to share a situation in my life where I handled a problem in a logical manner and it enabled me to adapt a skill that only few people were born with it.

In my work, we frequently held our general membership meetings outside the office, usually in hotels and convention centers. Last March 28, 2008, we had our Quarterly Business Counter in a hotel at the downtown area and we rode a taxi to get there. We did this in order for us to transport our equipment and materials for the said event. We are always riding taxis because our organization does not have an official vehicle for these purposes.

In this event, I was tasked to bring the LCD Projector and for official purposes I had signed the log book pass slip (this is for documentation purposes only to designate who’s responsible in handling office equipment in outside events) which is a requirement in our office.

There were three of us who rode the taxi and because of the hard rain; all of us were seated at the back seat. I was uncomfortable then, because three of us were occupying the back and I was also carrying the LCD Projector with me. Due to that situation, I decided to put the LCD Projector at the front, because the seat was vacant.

When we arrived at the hotel, we checked on everything that we have brought and we thought that all things were already moved out from the taxi. It’s too late when we knew that we had left the LCD Projector. It was the most unforgettable and difficult problem that I had faced in my job. It ruined my career goals and opportunities for promotions and excellent job appraisal. I was so down; it lowered my self-esteem and confidence. My career expectations and dreams were buried in the ground.

At first, I did not know how to handle the situation; I cannot think straight and I was rattled and uneasy. I have asked my officemates some advices on how I can handle the problem, and I was relaxed and enlighten by their simple notions. It is very important to ask questions and get as many details as possible. We should talk to people, especially with our family, friends, and co-workers, in order for us to keep our emotions and talk about facts with them.

At that very moment, I started to stay calm and think about the incident in detail. I was able to enumerate the specific hierarchy of events. I wrote down the specific details of the incident. Get as much information as you can in order to make an informed decision about the problem. If the problem doesn't require a decision it's important you still learn as much as you can (“How to handle problems” www.wikihow.com).

I was so blank that time and I couldn’t even remember the face of the taxi driver and the plate number of the vehicle. I was so desperate that’s why I went to a radio station to announce the incident, and still there were no responses. Being desperate is not advisable when you handle problems; we should not rush into things. We should think it through and do not be hasty with it. People will appreciate our careful thoughts rather than knee jerk reactions (“How to handle problems” www.wikihow.com).

Days have passed and still there were no news about the LCD Projector. I was so embarrassed and wanted to resign, but I could not do it, because I owe a responsibility to our company. You don’t have to run or escape when you have problems, you should face it and accept its cause. In my situation, it was my fault and I should face the consequences. It is a matter of acceptance and an open mind for forgiveness. It was not easy to overcome such trials, in this moment of loneliness; we should offer a prayer to the Lord, for this will help in calming our senses.

A prayer is an act of communicating with deity and spirit in worship. This act may somehow augment our needs for guidance and wisdom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer). Problems are swept away in a breeze, when we put to the Lord our God our trust and faith in Him. No powerful tool in solving problems has ever known, except in the power of prayer, all these things will be erased. I would like to share a wonderful quote that says:

“Approach each new problem not with a view of finding what you hope will be there, but to get the truth, the realities that must be grappled with. You may not like what you find. In that case you are entitled to try to change it. But do not deceive yourself as to what you do find to be the facts of the situation. (“Cool Quotes” Problems)

In conclusion, let us study every problem that we may encounter and analyze the different situation you’re in. Every situation has different approaches in solving it. We are not perfect but we can’t avoid committing mistakes. Learn lessons from every problem you solved and do better next time.