It amazes me where we can sometimes get inspiration from. I never thought that I would get work inspiration from a kids' book, but this particular book spoke volumes to me.
Gardner received the book, "What Do You Do With A Problem?" by Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom for his birthday. It has become a favorite of his and mine too.
First of all, the imagery is stunning, not to mention the message that it has. It starts you out on this journey where you have a problem that you didn't know where it came from or how you got it, but it was there. It follows this kid around wherever he goes even though he tries to ignore it. I know that we can all relate to this.
In my daily work life I encounter a number of problems. Some that I cause, but most that I do not. And yet, I am tasked with finding the solution. Sometimes I too want to run away from the problem, but usually it grows bigger and the book agrees.
This book speaks to how we face problems and frame problems that we encounter. It is a great reminder that as working professionals that it's better to face a problem head on and tackle it, so it doesn't morph into something it should have never been.
The message in this book is clear that a problem is just an opportunity in disguise. An opportunity that we can learn from and grow from. The most successful people in life are positive and use these opportunities to better themselves.
I know I am in a constant state of learning and that the word "change" doesn't terrify me like it can for others. This state of mind has served me well in my career so far. Still, I know that it's not so easy to accept.
This book reminded me that sometimes the simplest messages can have the biggest impact. And that everything we learned as kids still applies to our adult lives.