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September 24, 2004
The problem is the blessing
When we take a step back and look at things from a wider view we can see more than we did when we were closer. Sometimes when we are in the middle of a struggle it is easy to not see a bigger picture. But there usually is one.
In my Korean class many of the students were complaining at how hard it was and how much they dislike the teacher. And it’s easy to jump on the bandwagon because I can relate to that feeling. We have more homework this semester, more quizzes and the grading is tougher. But I also noticed that this teacher is putting in a lot of effort to analyze what each of us is doing and trying to come up with examples and homework to help us improve.
The large amount of homework and quizzes and the harsh grading could be viewed as a big problem, especially if we don’t do what’s asked of us. It can also be viewed as a blessing because the more practice and exposure we have to the Language, the more we learn. Our learning this semester will be greater than the last two combined. Learning the language is our goal, so the problem is the blessing.
Another example from my language learning came up tonight. I was talking with my language partner and he said something that I didn’t understand, then explained in English. However the way he explained what he said didn’t match what I had learned in class. He then taught me a different way to say, “I want to” in Korean, saying that most Koreans say it this way, not the way we learned in class.
Regardless, it can be a frustrating thing for language learners to learn one thing then be told to do it differently later. We can look at that as a problem or a blessing. It is frustrating that we learn it one way and then are told to relearn it another way. But it is a blessing that we are gaining a deeper knowledge of the language and that we are experiencing a process of discovery.
Some people complain about the struggles in life and pleadingly ask, “why does it have to be so difficult?” But taking a wider view of life, we can see that many of our struggles have made us stronger and wiser. It is a blessing that we went through them because they helped us change in some way. The problem becomes the blessing.
The trick then is to see the blessing in the problem while we are in the middle of it, without taking a step back. I can’t stop the amount of work in my class, but I can change my attitude while I’m doing it, knowing that it’s for my own good. Seeing our problems as blessings might take a little faith but from experience we know that somehow we will be changed by it. This awareness can help us live our daily lives with more peace and happiness.
Posted by carl1236 at September 24, 2004 10:33 PM | Attitude