Problems vs. Opportunities

By Zig Ziglar

Are they problems or opportunities? The late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale accurately observed that the only people without problems are those in the cemetery. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he would say, "and who knows - maybe they have more problems than ever!"

In your world today, if you didn't have problems, you would have few - if any - chances for substantial growth. In your present job, you can rest assured that if there were no problems, you either (a) would not be there or (b) you would be working for less money.

Our natural tendency is to look at the people who are running a company or organization and envy them. They drive a nicer car, live in a bigger home, and have a lifestyle that we can only covet. We even labor under the illusion that the problems they do have are far less serious than our own. It is true that in many cases they do not have significant financial problems, but they have problems that, for them, are just as serious.

Example: Jim Norman, who was once the C.E.O. Of our company, is the picture of the calm, cool and collected executive. I can tell you, however, that he regularly encounters problems (opportunities) of considerable magnitude which must be expediently dealt with. His ability to handle these problems played a major role in the success of our company. His problems were much greater than those of other staff members. But he is able to handle large problems today because he learned to handle a succession of smaller problems along the way. The conclusion is obvious: If you want to move up, learn to deal with the problems of your own job successfully and you'll be given more and bigger problems to handle. The more successfully you handle the bigger problems, the higher you're going to go - so, become a problem-solver and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 26 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.