Too often we find ourselves surrounded by uncontrollable circumstances, drowning in a sea of problems. However, we can aspire to turn our problems into solutions by looking for opportunities where once we saw only obstacles.

Take weeds, which have been a recurring theme in our blog.  Say a small, seemingly harmless, green and often flowering plant unexpectedly surfaces in a meticulously manicured garden.  The traditional solution has been to wage war, turning to herbicides, killing the “weed” and compromising the soil that supports our vegetable gardens into which we have poured our sweat, tears, and (lets face it!) money.  When we use these chemicals to solve one problem, a fragile situation is created and frequently succeeded by a new problem.

Similarly, when governments have disagreements, the predictable outcome is the declaration of enemies, a show force, and sometimes war.  We seek to rid ourselves of unfriendly ideas and governments just as easily as we turn to Roundup to eliminate weeds.

Can we see these problems as resources and opportunities, instead of waging wars and creating a new cycle of problems? When we reframe our issues in the context of opportunities, the stage is set for successful new connections to be made between opposing sides and ideas.

Pioneer weed species emerge as an indication that essential nutrients are missing from the soil that we use to grow our food; they appear on behalf of a natural restoration effort.  And in the case of governments, perhaps there is wisdom in the ideas that we so vehemently resist or suppress.

By re-imagining our problems as solutions, we can refocus the energy we exert against natural systems in ways that are productive and inclusive.  Suddenly, we may find ourselves facing a different paradigm: an abundance of resources