“It’s essential to distinguish between events that are really beyond your control and events you caused yourself.” – Barbara Sher

This is going to make me very unpopular, but I’m going to say it anyway.

You created almost every problem you have. Once you accept the fact that you are the one who created your problems, then the responsibility for fixing those problems is yours also.

Don’t sue McDonald’s because you are overweight. The real reason you are overweight is because you “Supersized” your order so many times that you became “Supersized”. After all, you are what you eat!

Of course, this is a very simple example. Think about the biggest problem you are facing in your life right now.

If you are completely honest, you may just find that you are involved in the creation of that problem.

Stop blaming somebody or something else and figure out how to solve your problem. You are allowed to ask for help – this is why we have friends. But the ultimate responsibility for solving your problems is yours.

Oh yes, this might be a good time to inform you of something a friend of mine told me once. He said, “You will have sixty-eight problems in your life. That does not mean if you solve one problem you now have sixty-seven problems. The problem you solved will be replaced with a new problem! Its just that you will always have sixty-eight problems!”

I think that is worth noting because there is no such thing as a life without problems. Edison was deaf, Stevie Wonder is blind, and I have no sense of smell. Everyone has problems!

The difference is in what you do about your problems. Are you going to solve your problems and turn life’s lemons into the proverbial lemonade, or are you just going complain about them?

For what its worth