“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll
The other day I was making a cup of green tea and the pod got stuck in the machine. Immediately my brain assessed that I had something shaped like a cylinder trying to come out of a space shaped like a cone.
It started me thinking about metaphorical toolkits and how we go to them. It seems, at least in my family, that when faced with a problem or a project, we each have a sweet spot tool that lines up with our vocation or avocation.
And for me, an engineer, my tendency to face anything is problem-solving.
My mom, who by education and mindset is a great linguist, edits her way out of problems.
My dad was a Presbyterian pastor. And his primary tool for everything good and bad was to find a scriptural reference.
For the litigator in my family, history has shown her go-to is taking legal action.
My brother, an entrepreneur, always looks to innovate himself out of a tight spot.
My sister-in-law, who has many talents and careers, organizes when pressed.
Have you heard the joke about the person holding a hammer? When you are holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
But as I watch my young kids who have not yet trained to be anything, I see their instinct is to hug, cry, sing or dance when faced with anything big.
After I solved my problem and was sipping my tea, I wondered if all of us who have “become something” are missing a key first step in the process – to allow our bodies to feel it all the way through. To take in a moment of pause to acknowledge where we are and use it to breathe underneath our programming. At the very least, we might at least acknowledge that there we are predisposed to handle things in just one way of many, and then tackle it wisely from there.
(photo from Pexels)
Surprised By Joy 
“When you are holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” . . . great judgement perspective Wynne, reminding me sometimes I need drop the hammer and consider the holes the nails I’m pounding are making.
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Yes, the holes! I hadn’t even thought of that, Fred. So true!
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Lovely post.
I like the way you take daily happenings and put an insightful twist on them.
True, we get so used to using a “sweet spot tool that lines up with our vocation or avocation” for all problems.
And forget to “At the very least, we might at least acknowledge that there we are predisposed to handle things in just one way of many, and then tackle it wisely from there.”
Best wishes.
Chaya
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Thank you for such a generous comment, Chaya. I’m grateful my insights resonate with you. Thank you for reading and letting me know!
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This is an insightful post about context – and how our personal context informs the way we perceive a problem and our approach to the solution.
It reinforces to me the need to always have an open mindset to learn and try to approach things from a different perspective. We’re all the better for it.
The hammer and nail reference made me chuckle.
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Glad it gave you a chuckle! I love how you put it – that our context controls how we perceive it. So true! And sometimes I don’t even realize I’m doing it. Thanks, as always, for reading and the thoughtful comment!
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I love seeing other people who ponder life’s great mysteries when seemingly small things trigger a thought! Sometimes people look at me like I have three heads if I should speak them out loud so I have learned to select who I speak with carefully!
I see here a few deep thinkers who share! Thanks for creating a safe space to do so!
As a creative person I tend to reinvent myself when circumstances have me facing a brick wall. I’m a multi media artist, so I like the challenge of creating something new in life, but thankfully I have also learned to ask for help and to seek advice! That wasn’t my forte before, lol!
Love your analogies and the word pictures you create!
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What a lovely comment, Tamara! I too am deeply grateful for this space to share and hear others share deep thoughts.
So interesting that as a creative, you create and reinvent. A beautiful way to evolve!
Thank you for your thoughtful perspective and comments! ❤
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I’m a problem-solver like you, yet, I’m certainly not an engineer of any sort. However, before retirement, I was a social worker of sorts at a major hospital, a financial patient rep. Some problems can’t be worked through, however, and, instead, need to be accepted so that you can move on.
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What wisdom you offer here, G. J.. There is such truth to sometimes we need to pack up our toolkits and move on! Thank you!
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