Problem Solving

Back in my old college days, fresh from reading Alan Watts and looking into Zen Buddhism, I wrote: “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” How wise I thought I was!

 

But now it seems to me that life and all its daily demands is indeed an unending series of problems to be solved. And that’s what keeps it interesting. 

 

For example, the series of roadblocks that recently all appeared at once in my Pentatonic Press business. At first maddening and had me discouraged and throwing pity parties and complaining to the universe, but once I calmed down, it has simply become a complex problem to solve and miraculously, I seem to be making progress. Life’s obstacles can beat us down, suggest we give up, feed that little voice constantly telling us we’re unworthy or undeserving or not smart enough. Or they can renew our determination to persevere, to claim our intelligence, to let the world know that we care about this enough that we’ll follow every detour to arrive at our destination. Problems are the guardians at the gate that measure how much we care and when we face them with our full intelligence, resolve, grit and strength of character, things start to move.

 

My SF School colleague Laura Burges kept a quote on the walls of her 3^rd grade classroom for some 30 years—“In effort, there is joy.” So when we make the effort to solve problems, there can be great pleasure in the undertaking and give a satisfying shape and design to the day. 

Some problems feel overwhelming— the current dismantling of American democracy, for example— so good to start where you are. What dinner can I make from the food currently in the refrigerator? How to get Susie to soccer practice and Jamal to his piano lesson when both are almost the same time? Who should I invite to my party and who would feel left out if I didn’t? You know the list.

 

But it gets larger. Whether through therapy, reflective solitude, heart-to-hearts with dear friends, how to clear away the problematic obstacles that seem to get in the way of my happiness and sense of well-being? How to practice piano consciously so I’m not just playing notes, but discovering what needs work, isolating it and improving? Even Zen practice presented a problem. In the Rinzai tradition my teacher represented, solving the unanswerable question called the koan is the centerpiece of meditation. 

 

I start each day with my 3 morning Solitaire games and then an afternoon Crostic puzzle— problem-solving as a way to keep the wheels of the mind oiled and smoothly running. I read and watch mysteries for the satisfaction of problems presented—mostly murder— and then problems solved—“He done it!” I write this Blog almost daily with the problem of deciding what’s on my mind that’s worthy of attention. 

 

What problems are you working on today?