C7 FAMILY
3/29/26
#10 - PROBLEMS
IM LEARNING THAT PROBLEMS ARE INEVITABLE IN LIFE, AND WHILE THEY MAY SEEM LIKE THEY EXIST PURELY TO BRING US DOWN, THEY ARE THE VERY TOOL WE NEED TO BRING OURSELVES UP. ONE OF THE SKILLS I FEEL LIKE I'VE DEVELOPED FROM MY TIME IN SCHOOL IS HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM. WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT YOU MAY HAVE NOT ACCOUNTED FOR, YOU ARE REMOVED FROM THE AUTOPILOT MODE THAT WE ARE USUALLY IN DURING THESE TIMES, AND PUT IN A STATE OF UNEASE THAT CAN ONLY BE RELIEVED WHEN THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED. FOR SOME, THIS LEVEL OF PANIC IS TINY, AND FOR OTHERS THIS EXACT FEELING DESTROYS THEM. I BELIEVE I'VE BUILT THE ABILITY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION AS A COPING MECHANISM FOR THE FEELING OF UNCERTAINTY THAT I FEEL, ALMOST A WAY TO FEEL LIKE I HAVE CONTROL OF A SITUATION. THAT FEELING OF NOT KNOWING WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN A GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCE CAN DESTROY YOUR MIND IF YOU ALLOW IT TO, HOWEVER I'M LEARNING THAT THESE TYPES OF MONUMENTAL LIFE CHANGES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE HAPPENING UNTIL IM NO LONGER ALIVE.
WHEN I REFLECT ON PAST PROBLEMS I'VE RUN INTO AND BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE, I VALUE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AND AM GRATEFUL FOR THEIR EXISTENCE BECAUSE I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY WITHOUT THEM. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM LIKE A BRUSH OF COLOR ON A MASSIVE CANVAS, MY LIFE BEING THE ENTIRE PAINTING. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE ENTIRE PAINTING WHEN YOU ARE BRUSHING SMALL PARTS OF IT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, BUT EVENTUALLY YOU ARE ABLE TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE ENTIRE THING IN ALL ITS GLORY AND BEAUTY. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE I'M FULLY THEIR YET, HOWEVER I DO THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT I AM WORKING TOWARDS EVERY DAY. LOOKING BACK ON IT, THE SOLUTIONS I'VE THOUGHT OF TO COMBAT THESE PROBLEMS THAT FEEL SO LIFE ALTERING ARE THE ULTIMATE REFLECTION OF WHO I AM. WHEN PUT IN THIS STATE OF UNCERTAINTY, WE ARE FORCED TO ACT ON OUR PURIST BELIEFS AND VALUES.
WITH THESE BELIEFS CONTAINING THE MOST RAW AND PERSONAL ENERGY AN INDIVIDUAL CAN EXPRESS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOT DISREGARD THEM, SINCE STAYING TRUE TO THESE EMOTIONS CAN HELP US SOLVE PROBLEMS IN A WAY THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR VALUES. REGARDLESS OF THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM, IF YOU BASE YOUR SOLUTION IN YOUR OWN VALUES AND BELIEFS, YOU WILL BE MUCH MORE SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME. EVEN IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPLETELY FIX THE ISSUE, YOU DID EVERYTHING IN YOUR ABILITY TO DO SO WITHOUT SACRIFICING WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK ON THESE OCCURRENCES AS WINS, SINCE YOU DID NOT SACRIFICE WHO YOU ARE TO SOLVE SOMETHING. LOOKING BACK ON THESE EVENTS GIVES US A GLIMPSE INTO WHO WE REALLY ARE, AND CAN BE USED TO UNDERSTAND YOURSELF ON A DEEPER LEVEL MOVING FORWARD. I TRY TO ONLY MAKE DECISIONS THAT ALIGN WITH MY BELIEFS AND VALUES, SOMETHING I HOPE IS REFLECTED IN MY WORK. I COULD NEVER TELL SOMEONE WHAT TO BELIEVE IN SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT EVENTS LED THEM TO THAT MOMENT, HOWEVER I HOPE TO DEMONSTRATE THE POWER IN TRUSTING YOURSELF AND HELP OTHERS SEE THE VALUE IN THEIR OWN BELIEFS AS WELL.
-CAMERON CAMPBELL CRAIG