PROblem? or NEGAblem?

Problems are only problems! Problems usually are a lack of decision. Any problem can be solved by making a decision. The bigger your problem is, the bigger your opportunity and a problem is nothing negative and nothing to be afraid of. PRO-blem, Pro means "positive". Therefore if a problem were really something to fear, a disaster in the making, wouldn't it be called something else? Like NEGA-blem or CONTRA-blem?It is up to us on how we define it.

Let me share to you something about my personal problem, a very personal one. In my case, I thought I was the luckiest person ever born on earth - no problems, no worries. Until the day came when I met this guy- tall, dark and handsome man who actually became my boyfriend. I was in high school that time and he is my schoolmate. I didn't really expect that one day I just found myself MADLY in love with this guy with no deep reason aside from his charm. What's the problem then? The problem was that, I had of sealed promise to my parents that I won't have any boyfriend until I graduated and have my job someday. It seemed that this promise I had with them was broken. I have just eaten my words and I hated myself for that. I don't want to hurt my mom. I decided to hide it from my family.But I felt it was no good and how will I become happy if I will just hide forever? I disobeyed my parents, I lied and for me it is a big sin. One day, I confessed to my mother about my top secret. At that moment, the environment was totally in tension and she was like a boiling kettle- so hot tempered- so dangerous! I was scared, scared because if my father knew about this, Good luck to me! I didn't really want to disappoint her. She told me to cut the relationship to that guy. If I did it, it will just remain a secret. She won't tell it to my dad because deep inside she is very much concern of me. She gave me just one last chance to correct my mistakes. She knows very well that if dad knew about this, I've no future! I broke up with that guy and the feeling was a combination of thunderbolt and storm. It hurts! But I didn't regret my decision because I know very well that my sin was unforgivable. What made me hurt so much is the fact that my mom's trust just vanished. What can I do? It already happened. I have to move on and start to renew mom's trust. Life must go on of course. No more drama. I just thought that I could find a "more than him" at the right time- more handsome, more responsible, more...more...

To overcome my sorrows, I came to realize that the experience I had was full of lessons for me to learn. I must be obedient to my parents for without them I am futile. MEAN what we have said. Do our promise as we do our actions. So I better listen to the advises of my parents.

If we want to change our thought processes and our perceptions, begin by changing the word we use.WORDS have power.

• If we call it a situation, it will calm us down, because a situation is something neutral, neither bad nor good, and a situation can be analyzed.

• If we call it a challenge, it will boost our ambition to accept and to overcome it. Most of us love challenges. Life would be boring without them.

• If we call it an opportunity, change our attitude and our approach. Instead of asking 'How did I get into this?', ask yourself 'What can I do to get out of this?'

• If we call it a lack of decision, we drive ourselves towards a solution.

Every adversity, failure and heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or of a greater benefit. God is always good and whenever He wants to send as a gift, He wraps it up in a problem.