There are only two types of problems worth solving. And they are MY and OUR problems.

It is nice to have a bit of fine weather now. It has been wet and stormy lately and as a roof repairer, I get told about lots of roofing problems. And when you get problems all day long, it gets you down. I feel sorry for doctors and dentists. They get a fresh problem every 15 to 30 minutes…. It is no wonder that doctors call for the pill.

We live in a world full of problems. If we feel that there is not enough, we create some more. In a consumer orientated world, the marketers love creating problems because they have just the right product to fix it. In fact, the whole world economy is based on people saying that they can solve someone else’s problems.

We have doctors (sorry to all the doctors out there…I picked you because you are an easy target) who are on the opposite end of the scale in optimal health dishing out medical advice. And Clergy of questionable morality preaching a sinless life. Every profession has examples of “do as I say. Not as I do”.

It is easy to have solutions for someone else’s problems. But they will not do you much good.

A life simplified is a life that is easy to live. And I have a simple approach to attacking life’s problems. Firstly, there is only one problem worth solving. And that is MY problem that I have on my plate at the moment. Everyone else’s problems are theirs. They can keep them.

This approach may scream “selfish”. But if everyone can keep their problems to themselves and solve them without outside help – then there will be no more problems in the world!

Fortunately, this is not how the world works. So, we are stuck with problems as long as we have people on this earth. Problems make the world go around.

Which brings us to the second type of problem worth solving.

Human beings are social beings. We just can’t stop doing things together.

So, once we finally figure out how to solve our own problems, we like to take on fresh challenges. When I go out to look at a roof leak, the house owner’s problem becomes my problem also. And I willingly turn the whole thing into OUR problem.

Great organisations are built on individuals putting in their collective efforts to solve ‘OUR’ problems. It is taking ownership. And the results show that it is worth doing. An example is our Waratah Masters Cycling Club. A collective effort to provide a solution for all us old folks who crave for a race every weekend.