It’s a bit of a silly question, isn’t it? When it is staring you right in the face. That you would ever run out of problems.
Maybe somewhere deep down you did expect to one day have no more problems. The dream of relaxing on a yacht, retiring on a yacht, drifting wherever the wind takes you.
That might have been the subconscious end goal. A variation of this far away paradise might be the destination that you have in mind. Until then though, there are just a series of problems that need solving and then you will be done with them for good, right?
Of course not. This is a crazy idea to have and one that much of us still hold tightly at the back of our minds.
Were you really expecting to reach a point in your life with no more problems? That there would be nothing on your to-do list at one stage? Even if you are on that yacht in your old age, your bad knee might be stopping you from playing with your kids. It’s likely that you will have one eye on your life’s clock. After the fifth day of sipping margaritas all evening with nothing on your mind, you become a bit…well…bored. And that is another problem.
Here is the thing that we so often forget: Life is mostly about solving problems.
You can’t get to a place where problems ever stop, because that place just simply doesn’t exist.
It doesn’t make any sense to be surprised by the arrival of new problems and complications in your life. New problems are absolutely to be expected.
It can’t be any other way. Because although you didn’t sign up for all of the problems that you will have to solve in your lifetime, they are just simply a part of the package deal. In the same way that there will always be joy, sadness, wonder, love and anxiety in your life. Problems will keep arising and keep passing.
The expectation that it can or should be any other way is a form of unnecessary suffering. A type of suffering that you can do something about.
Instead of fighting the arrivals of more problems, instead of complaining about more problems, simply expect more problems. See them as challenges and opportunities to learn and grow, because they certainly can be.
Problems continually arise, so you may as well embrace them. You might even be able to enjoy them, eventually.