Week 2, 14

Week 2: Taking Action

Day 14: Develop a Taste for Problems

Summary: We all experience a constant barrage of problems in our lives, but we often behave as if we expect they will eventually go away and allow us to live in an existence of uncomplicated bliss. Burkeman points out that as this will never happen, we should learn to accept and even embrace their permanent presence in our lives.

          As I’m going through this book, I sometimes wonder what selection process Burkeman used for including certain chapters in his book. This chapter might also have fitted more comfortably into the first week as it discusses ways to shift our approach to the problems that insist on inserting themselves into our existence. As we know, endless complaints reduces our happiness and it’s best if we are more accepting of their presence. That’s fine, but not all problems are created alike. Nowhere, however, does Burkeman recognize that some problems are more serious than others. Complaining about traffic is one thing, and coping with cancer diagnosis is quite another. Delving into problem solving is easy when a call to the plumber will fix a leaky faucet, but more challenging when dealing with a child’s problems at school. Learning to differentiate between minor nuisances with which we’re inundated, and larger problems, is a helpful skill.

Homework: Consider what types of problems I encounter.