The problem is YOU. (Most of the time)

To paraphrase Jay-Z on problems, I got 99 of them but the bitch ain't one.

Problems are all around us. They disguise themselves in Halloween costumes pretending to be something they are not. They are constantly there.

As soon as I think I'm getting rid of one problem, another presents itself.

It's easy to say, "I've got no problems". Essentially, we all have them in varying degrees. If we're honest with ourselves, we know that.

What we focus on, expands. So it's a fine line between empowering a problem and dealing with it.

All that said, dealing with our problems is extremely difficult. As Einstein is quoted, "The solution to a problem cannot be found with the same level of thinking that created it".

Our problems are derivatives of our thoughts, actions, and beliefs. To fix a problem, we need to change our thoughts, actions and beliefs.

The stuff that needs to change does not change easily. It takes real work. So most take the easy road. They blame other people for their problems.

In my experience there are two types of problems:
1. Those we create.
2. Those we are given.

It's only the second one, we can blame someone else. The given problems are rare. They are things beyond our control, occurring in nature, like death, natural disasters, freak accidents.

Most of our problems are created by us. It's easier to blame others, so we do.
To use Pareto's Principle, 80% of the problems we create are based on 20% of our actions.

What actions are you doing to cause the problems in your life?
In what ways do you need to change to fix those problems?

The ones we create are solved by changing our thinking.
The ones we are given are solved by changing our relationships.

The first one is hardest because we need to change ourselves.
The second one is easy.

PS. Have you ever noticed the rate of divorce among divorced couples? The divorced couples I know, who remarry, have a much higher incidence to divorce again. Thinking the problems have to be with the other person, the divorcee continues to look for the perfect partner only to realize, after a second failed marriage, they are far from it.