Advance Through It: 7 Steps to Turning Problems into Power!
Updated: Jan 29, 2021
Achieving the next dimension of your life will require facing your problems and overcoming the obstacles that stand between you and your destiny. Yes, the path to victory may seem difficult, but achieving it isn't impossible.
No matter what people might say, God has equipped you to be a champion. Therefore, as a child of the Most High, victory is a birthright. And if you know this, facing your problems head on isn't something to fear.
So, with that being said, you must summon the strength to advance through this rough patch and claim the life you want. You must advance through it because on the other side of your problems waits the life you've been waiting for.
Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." This scripture reveals why people may never live victoriously. One, they don't commit to the Lord and, two, they don't have a plan. Without these two components, facing your problems and living in the power of your purpose is nearly impossible.
In this article, however, we'll make sure that you'll have a plan for overcoming the problems you face. You, on the other hand, will need to determine what level of commitment you're going to take to make it happen.
Video: Author, speaker and Power and Success Ministries founder Ellard Thomas gives a powerful message that will help you break the chains of the problems you're facing so you can start living the life God intended for you to live.
=> Get the #1 book on helping you with turning problems into power!
7 Steps to Facing Your Problems
Everyone has problems. Professional problems. Personal problems. Spiritual problems. Financial problems. And so on. Yet, no matter what problems you have, these following steps will make facing your problems easier.
Below are seven steps to turning your problems into power. Use these as they will assist you in achieving the destiny that awaits you.
Step One: Identify the Problems in Your Life
The first step to facing your problem is to identify what they are. Without identifying or labeling your problems, it's hard to create a strategy to overcoming them.
It's unfortunate that some people want to know the steps on how to avoid problems instead of facing them. If this is you, I have something to tell you. Problems are inevitable. And since this is the truth, learning to face them should be your focus. And this is done by first identifying what your problem or problems are.
Step Two: Don't Catastrophize
You're probably thinking what the heck catastrophize is and what does it have to do with facing your problems, right? Let me tell you.
According to Merriam-Webster, catastrophize means, "to imagine the worst possible outcome of an action or event : to think about a situation or event as being a catastrophe or having a potentially catastrophic outcome."
Essentially, it's the materialization of your greatest fears and your "perceived" inability to do anything about them. But here's something to remember. We often make our problems to be more than what they are, and that's why facing your problems is so difficult.
Step Three: Consider the Origin of the Problem
One of the keys to facing your problem is to determine the source of it. In this step, think about when you first noticed the issue. With the hustle and bustle of your life, you may not have realized that a problem was brewing for awhile, and now it's suddenly much larger now.
I'm a business person by nature, and whenever I'd have a problem, I'd perform a root cause analysis or (RCA) to figure out the origin of an issue. The purpose of an RCA is to trace where the problem occurred so it can be isolated, and to determine if a preventive measure could be implemented.
Whether the problem is personal or professional, it's necessary to trace it back to when it started. And from there, you can create a plan of attack or resolution.
Step Four: Put Everything in Perspective
When facing your problems, it's important to remember it is not the end of the world. As long as you have breath in your lungs and a beating heart, you will carry on. Take note. Every problem either has a solution or can be looked at as an opportunity to advance your life. Consider Romans 8:37 to help put things in perspective: "...we are more than conquerors." Conquerors are the outcome and the bi-products of overcoming problems. Aren't you one? Let me answer that for you...yes you are!
Step Five: Accept and Embrace the Challenge
Many people believe problems come to destroy them, but this isn't so. Actually, they come to bring out the greater side of you.
In the hit book, Think and Grow Rich, author and motivational speaker Napoleon Hill says something remarkable. "Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit."
You're right, this is hard to believe when you're facing your problems, but it's accurate to say the least. When I wrote the internationally-selling book Defeating Goliath, I found this quote to be very true.
To elaborate, I'm about a get a little personal with you, and I hope you don't mind.
I never had a desire to write a book based on Scripture, but I felt I was directed by the Holy Spirit to do so.
My mother had recently died; my wife and son seemed to have taken turns going back and forth to the hospital, and ministerial demands were increasing. I was exhausted and on the verge of throwing in the towel. I was completely drained and fed up, wondering why I was undergoing these types of problems in my life.
As I moped toward the office one morning, I heard a voice say, "Defeating Goliath." I thought nothing of it, until I heard it again, "Defeating Goliath."
"Everyone knows the story about David and Goliath, Lord," I responded in my mind.
"I need to you to study the strategy David took to defeat Goliath because the problems you're facing are your Goliaths..."
As I started writing Defeating Goliath, I went through hell. A series of storms seemed to have destroyed any semblance of happiness.
Overwhelmed, I started to doubt the assignment I was given. Every unimaginable thing seemed to happened. But I forged through it all. And it was through this process that God have me acronym for Goliath: God's Opportunities Lie Inside Adversity, Trials and Hindrances (GOLIATH). If you'd like, you have my permission to use this as you're facing your own problems or giants.
As you can imagine, I was floored when I received this revelation. And it's this acronym that helped me and thousands of other people with facing their problems. So, if you want answers to your issue, look to them. You'll be surprised the amount of critical thinking skills and creative solutions that will be spawned.
Step Six: Seek Assistance
When facing your problems, it's important that you take step six seriously.
Many people don't get assistance with their problems because they don't want to seem weak or vulnerable. So, rather than get help, they strengthen the hold that their problems have.
I'm about to say something that you may disagree with: it's okay to get help. God didn't give you all the answers. Instead, He has people whose purpose is to help people solve the type of problems you have.
Therefore, if you need to see a therapist, see a therapist. Need direction from a pastor or minister, arrange a time. Before you seek friends for advice, let me caution you. Although your friends may mean well, make sure their advice, tips or suggestions are sound, and not mixed with contamination.
What do I mean?
If your facing problems pertaining to unresolved relationship issues, for example, your friends may think they're helping you by speaking negatively about your significant other. This doesn't help; it hurts the situation even more.
Therefore, I suggest pursuing professional assistance over taking in casual suggestions. Whatever you decide to do, remember to consider Proverbs 19:20, which says, "Seek wise counsel." Wise counsel are unbiased individuals who are not emotionally or physically tied to the situation directly or indirectly.
Step Seven: Find a Solution
When facing your problem, the final step you should take is finding a solution to it. During this step, you've identified what your problem is and now it's time to solve it.
I've come to learn that every problem has a solution--the solution sometimes, as many of us have discovered, isn't what we want. But it's necessary.
Besides seeking wise counsel as stated before, another great strategy to finding solutions to your problem is to brainstorm. This activity activates the creative realm of your brain.
During your brainstorming session, take time to jot down every idea. Don't select one right away, but write them all down. Once you're done, look them over to see which one seems most feasible to execute. Sometimes there aren't any solutions that you like. And if this is the case, summon the courage to make the best move you can.
=> Get the #1 book on helping you with turning problems into power! <=
Top 10 Inspirational Quotes about Facing Problems
Whenever I counsel individuals who are dealing with problems, no matter what kind, I always suggest that they carry quotes in their purse or wallet, or place them on the walls of their house or office. The key to facing your problems quotes is to help strengthen you. Add one or all of these to your motivational arsenal.
#1: "You're greater than the opposition or the problem that faces you. Allow of me to reaffirm something. You're more than a conqueror!" -- Ellard Thomas
#2: The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he’s dead. -- Bette Davis
#3: "Being challenged in life is inevitable; being defeated is optional." -- Roger Crawford
#4: "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man (or woman) perfected without trials.
-- Chinese Proverb
#5: "God is turning your setbacks into your greatest setups for your biggest comebacks."
-- Ellard Thomas
#6: Every individual has the propensity and the power to achieve their uttermost desires in life; it only requires the courage to face and overcome their greatest challenges." -- Ellard Thomas
#7: "Since problems are a part of life, why not then make turn your adversity into your advocate."
-- Ellard Thomas
#8: "Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." -- Dale Carnegie
#9: There's no gain in wallowing in self-pity; move through the darkened forest of uncertainty until you see the flowing waters of achievement." -- Ellard Thomas
#10: We define ourselves far too often by our past failures. That’s not you. You are this person right now. You’re the person who has learned from those failures." --Joe Rogan
The facing problems quotes you've just read have helped countless people with facing their problems and turning them into power. If you find at least one helpful, put it somewhere you can read it each day.
Better yet, memorize it and recite it in the morning upon waking up and in the evening before going to bed. You'll start to see that facing your problems isn't as hard as you thought.
4 Common Problems People Struggle to Overcome
As I mentioned earlier, it's important for you to identify the problems you're facing in life. Unfortunately, perhaps due to distractions, many people find this step challenging. So, here is a list of problems in life many people face:
Financial Problems
We live in a world of uncertainty, oftentimes caused by economical and social volatility. As this is the case, financial problems may come at different stages in life.
One of the biggest problems I had to overcome in my own life occurred when I experienced a job loss. It was this day I vowed to have multiple income streams to prevent this level of disappointment and financial unrest from every happening again.
If you're having financial problems, I strongly urge you to create multiple income streams today, or consult an expert.
Health Problems
Another problem that may arise in your life is a health problem. This type of problem can occur even when you're working out and eating right.
If you're experiencing health problems, I strongly urge you to speak with a health professional to see what options you have. Your medical professional may suggest dietary and lifestyle changes. Also, you can also look into other ways to prolonging your health and life through alternative methods.
Marital and Relationship Problems
"Love is great when love is doing what its supposed to," once stated by one of my clients. "When it's broken, then a sliver of an issue can quickly become a gouge."
When we're under the euphoria of love, we don't dream of problems arising. So, when they do, the impact becomes detrimental if both parties aren't solutions-driven.
If you're at a point where you feel that the relationship or the marriage has reached irreconcilable differences, I strongly urge you to seek professional help--an unbiased individual who can act as a mediator and can suggest healing methods that neither of you thought about.
Workplace Problems
I've been blessed to have worked for over two decades, and there's one thing I learned to be true: the workplace is a breeding ground for problems.
Anytime you place people with different personalities, leadership styles and levels of work ethic in an environment, you'll encounter problems.
If you're a leader, for example, identify what the issue is, gather the intelligence you need and address it with a win-win mindset. If, for some reason, an arrangement cannot be made, manage to the standards of excellence that's established by the organization.
Honestly, I could drone on about the types of workplace problems that may arise. Yet, the best way to deal with them--whether as a leader or a direct report--is to have the courage to address them as respectfully as you can.
Summary
Facing your problems is essential if you ever want a better life. Whereas some people cower before them, you, as a person of excellence, shouldn't. I say this because the path of least resistance are for people who'd rather live a life of mediocrity. And as a result, they give their authoritative power over to someone else--or to their problems even.
God didn't say life would be easy. Thus, as means to develop your strength, creativity and critical thinking skills, He puts problems in your path. No successful person has ever achieved success without having to face problems. And if you have a desire to be successful, then facing your problems is a necessity.
Whether you know it or not, you're a great problem solver. You have the innate ability to find solutions to the problems you face. And when you do, you can then be the "wise" counsel for others. So, continue in the spirit of excellence and achievement.
Resources
Defeating Goliath: Called the "Best Motivational Book of the Year," this book will help you with creating and executing the strategies you need to facing and overcoming your biggest problems.
Rated 4.5/5 on Amazon, it continues to transform the lives of people worldwide. Get it now and start transforming your life.
Ellard Thomas has helped professionals, educators and young adults with turning problems into power. He's the founder of Power and Success Ministries--an organization that's dedicated to helping people with achieving the lives God intended for them to live. Connect with him on Facebook
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