Sometimes, I don’t think we cut ourselves enough slack in terms of believing that we can figure out the solution to our own problems. It’s extremely easy to err on the side of “I can’t” and move on.

But you can. And you will. You WILL figure it out.

Figure what out?

How to deal with the problems that inevitably come about in your life.

And we all have them. We do. It’s funny because we think we are the only ones that have problems, when in actuality, everybody does, even the people who look like they don’t.

And more often than not, we find that the problems that we have, and that we think only apply to ourselves, are the exact same problems that others have, and the beauty of that is that it shows us that we are all human. We are all human, regardless of color, ethnicity, or background. We all have problems.

But first things first. You’ve got to stop labeling them as problems. Start labeling them as opportunities because all problems have been brilliantly disguised as opportunities.

Think about it. Every problem results in an opportunity to improve your life.

Have a problem with low energy? You’ll do some research, find out what foods to eat to keep your energy levels up, when to eat throughout the day, what type of exercise to do, etc. You start applying that information. Bam. No more low energy.

With your newfound energy, you can do more things with your life and whole new doors begin to open up.

All because you had a problem with low energy.

I truly believe, if you really sit down and think about it, that you can trace all your accomplishments back to a problem that instigated it. Had you not had that problem, would you have accomplished all that you have up until this very moment? The answer is no. That might seem presumptuous of me, but I say that because I firmly believe it.

Opportunity is always knocking on your door. Problems are like stones that drop into your “calm, pond of life”, disrupting it at first, but sending out soothing, positive, ripple effects afterwards, which ultimately changes your life for the better, but only provided that you take advantage of those opportunities.

Probably the biggest advantage in taking advantage of these opportunities is that you can build your “Can Do” reservoir.

Imagine if you will, a person who has never figured out anything for himself in his life. He is at a severe disadvantage because when the time comes for him to figure out something on his own, and it will, he has nothing to rely on, no past experience to base the fact that he can do it so it’s extremely easy for him to give up.

Personal experience is an invaluable and intangible asset you can tap into. Look back and you will undoubtedly find times in your life when it was tough, but you got going and pulled through it.

Stop and do so right now.

Case in point, you figured out a lot of things then, so what makes you think that you won’t figure it out now?

Sure the circumstances may be different, but it’s another opportunity to build your growing “Can Do” reservoir that you can tap into later.

This is important because it’s the belief that you WILL figure it out that gets you through the tough times and will help guide you to figure it out.

You essentially support this belief in three ways.

The first, we already covered, was personal experience. By constantly taking advantage of the opportunities presented before you, you know that you can tackle future opportunities and succeed as well, just like you did before.

The second is knowledge. We inevitably gain knowledge that we can capitalize on which will help lead us to figure out how we can take advantage of our current opportunities.

Probably the biggest thing that holds people back from taking on problems is that they expect themselves to get it right the first time, to knock it out of the park and in most cases, it’s not like that at all.

In actuality, it’s more like peeling an onion. Layer by layer. You research information which leads to this which leads to that which leads to another thing which leads to another which points you to a book which points you to a person which points you to an idea and it’s that idea that will help you figure it out. It’s a continuous path. It’s not a one stop destination.

But you will also inevitably run across another type of knowledge and that is the knowledge of “If he/she can do it, so can I.” I don’t know if you're familiar with Alonzo Mourning but he was a NBA basketball player who discovered that he had to undergo a kidney transplant. He spent much time recovering from it and got back right on his feet afterwards and went on to win the NBA championship.

At the post game interview, he credited a lot of his recovery to Lance Armstrong. He read both his books when he was in the hospital and because of the knowledge he acquired from those books, he developed the mentality of “If he can do it, so can I”, which helped him pull through and recover.

More often than not, if you take into account all the years of human history, there is a 99% chance that whatever situation you are facing right now, as of this very moment, someone else went through the exact same thing, and many people probably went through it in a situation worse than yours, but they pulled through. They figured it out. So can you. It’s in the books, so get that knowledge. Get that mentality.

The third pillar to support your belief that you will figure it out after personal experience, and experience from others, is belief from others AND in others.

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you couldn’t do something and your friend looked you dead in the eye and told you that you could? It’s probably one of the most refreshing moments in any person’s life and if you can surround yourself with these types of people, you establish another solid pillar as well. They can even go a step further and help you to figure out your problems by introducing you to people who have figured it out or to information that will help you figure it out as well.

And keep in mind, whatever you give comes back to you. So if you believe in others, you are essentially, and on a subtle note, telling yourself that you believe in YOU. Don't be one of those people who tear down other people’s dreams without knowing. Breathe life into them. Tell them that you believe in them. Don't just say it. Charge it with your emotion of sincerity. They will always check your eyes to see if you mean it and if you do, I guarantee you that the expression on the other person’s face when you tell them that will be unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s a combination of life, hope, gratitude, joy, strength, all rolled into one and whether we like to admit it or not, we all need it every once in a while.

People are always complaining there are no opportunities, but there are. It’s sort of like diamonds. Most people don’t realize that diamonds do not look like the way they do in the stores in their natural form. Only when they are processed, do the diamonds look the way you expect them to in the store.

So long as you capitalize on the opportunities presented to you, you will fortify those three pillars even further and you will soon realize that that there is indeed, nothing you can’t handle and that you can do it. And you will. You WILL figure it out.