Chapter 3: discussion – love your problems

The Power Process “Love your problems” helps you take effective action by accepting and experiencing your barriers. But sometimes the best action is no action at all. Consider the following story.

A traveler takes shelter in a cave for the night. He lies down and, after a few moments, sees in the dim light a huge, poisonous snake sleeping right next to him. The fear that arises in him from this sight is so great that he weeps uncontrollably. The snake continues to sleep comfortably for hours, while the traveler’s fear escalates into a full panic. He envisions the snake’s fangs dripping with blood after digging deep beneath his skin. He imagines the pain of being bitten and dying slowly alone in the cave. Horror and dread fill his imagination. An entire night passes, and the snake does not move. All the while, the traveler cannot escape his fear. He is frozen with it. He must either face his fear or risk waking up the snake in a panicky escape attempt. As daylight moves in, the traveler, exhausted from his inner struggle, begins to see the beauty of the snake’s skin and the perfect peace in which it slumbers. In contrast to his fear, suddenly he feels a kinship with the snake. The traveler begins to relax and falls soundly asleep. When the traveler next opens his eyes, the snake is gone. From that day forward the traveler is never sure if the snake really existed. Either way, the lessons learned that night provided the empowerment he needed to shift from a focus on fear to one of acceptance.

Consider the metaphor of the snake in the story above. Can you observe your problems from a new perspective, one that allows you to accept them? Can you predict how a shift in perspective might help you actually overcome your problems? Share your reflections with your group members.