Overcome BY Problems

Overcome BY Problems

It’s incredible how complicated our lives have become in just a few short decades. We’ve gone from checking a few voice recordings on an answering machine attached to a wall in the kitchen to being bombarded by notifications, emails, voice notes, texts, tweets, pins, and pokes from all directions. Technology, which was supposed to simplify our lives, seems to have done the opposite. Every software update or new operating system is designed to help us manage the increasing complexities of modern life, yet somehow, life keeps getting more complicated.

Our brains are much like the devices we rely on—constantly adapting to new challenges. Some people are able to adjust quickly to these new demands, while others struggle to keep up. When we can’t adapt, it can lead to a sense of overwhelm, which may be one reason why we’re seeing a rise in mental health issues and suicides today.

So, how do you upgrade your brain’s “software” to better handle life’s complexities and problems? The answer, surprisingly, is quite simple. It’s a life skill I learned in prison—though, fortunately, you don’t have to experience incarceration to benefit from it.

In prison, you are literally stripped of everything.  As you got through intake you get stripped down naked, head shaved, lice powder thrown on you and your arse-hole inspected for contraband. They take your clothes, your belongings, your connection to the outside world. You lose access to your phone, your friends, your family, even your favorite foods. It is shocking and humiliating, but within that harsh reality, there is a silver lining. You learn to live, to exist with less—much less. When everything is taken away, you are left with a choice: to become bitter, or to become better. If you choose to become better, you discover a powerful truth: you can thrive with less.

This is the secret to overcoming problems: declutter your mind.

The phrase “Overcome by problems” can be transformed into “Overcome problems” simply by removing the “by.” You can remove the mental and physical clutter in your life, and in doing so, you create the space to tackle challenges more effectively. A simpler, more minimalist approach allows you to focus on what truly matters.

You don’t have to wait for life to strip things away from you to experience this freedom. You can start now by actively decluttering your mind. There are many ways to do this, such as mindfulness, meditation, or engaging in activities that require your full attention—like swimming, cycling, skydiving, racing, drawing, painting, composing, or even praying. These activities put you in a state of flow, bringing you fully into the present moment.

Being in the now is the best way to deal with any problem. You overcome problems by staying out of your head and focusing on the present. Your brain is a tool, just like software or technology, meant to make your life better, not more complicated. So, no matter what obstacles you’re facing, remember to use your brain for what it was designed for—to make your life easier and more fulfilling.