Not Making it Your Problem

I was in Junior High. Lurking about the offices. I heard something of extreme
importance.

Extreme importance if you were a student at my Junior High interested in certain things.

The information electrified me and so I ran down the hallway, and fell. I skinned my knee. Other students laughed, but I got up, and continued to run to the room which had a big sign; "Student Government Meeting in Session."

I went to open the door and Arlene came out.

I was the smallest girl at the school. I must have weighted a good 86 pounds. Arlene weighed more than twice that, and was at least ten inches taller that I was.

She also had an I.Q. of about 80 so like one of Orwell's sheep began to bleat that I couldn't come in.

I was trying to explain to her why I had to go in, getting angry and loud, when up came Thelma.

Thelma asked what was happening, I told her that I had to get in to tell my Class Rep that....(and here I reveal the Secret Information I had just gotten).

Thelma paused then said; "It's not your problem."

I was about to shout all sorts of School Spirit slogans, but something about Thelma; how she looked and spoke, put me into a .5 second Brain Freeze.

Then her words hit and suddenly a beatific smile exploded on my face. I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. An Epiphany.

I nodded, and calmly walked away feeling better than I had maybe in my entire life. I felt I could have floated home.

Sure the next day when the poo hit the fan and everyone was running around being hysterical, I sat drawing pictures of defecating dogs in my copy book. I was totally at peace.

After all, it was Not My Problem.

It should be the 11th Commandment;

"Thou Shalt Not taketh problems thou can not solve upon thy head."

Throughout my life I have gotten deeply involved in many causes, organizations, issues. Some groups, some issues, have become so important to me I could be labeled fanatic.

That is, until something happens, and I need to inform a Minister or an Agency, or a Chairman or Director, but protocols and barriers spring up and I am prevented.

Sure, there is that deep anger for a few seconds, but then I hear Thelma's voice.

And I realize, it is "Not my Problem."

Most of us can get totally stressed out when trying to fix something which is not our problem.

Mr. Boss piles files on our desks. We know we won't be able to complete them before our working day ends. We look at the stack, our heart pounds,,, Why?

It is not our problem.

I know I am getting up from this seat at bang on quitting time and the files will sit there all night. So What?

Anything goes wrong, anything undone; it is Not My Problem. It is the problem of Mr. Boss.

The Minister of Whatever s about to be embarrassed by a revelation. I call his office and his ginchy gal secretary won't let me speak to him.

Sure, I can become annoyed, but HEY! It is his problem.

If he had the brains he was born with he wouldn't have an idiot as his secretary.
In fact if he wasn't idiot, he wouldn't be in this pickle.

I tried, was thwarted. It is Not My Problem.

So the Board of Directors is made up of three senile codgers, one incompetent megalomaniac and two and a half stooges. So?

So the Organization goes down the Tubes. Alas. Why stress?

Sure, you may have all the answers. You may be able to fix the problem. But if you have no access nor authority to do so, let it go.

It is NOT YOUR PROBLEM.

If you check what upsets you, it is usually situations beyond your control. Sure, if you had the power you could fix the problem, but you don't.

You are not being allowed into the room where the Student Government is Meeting.

Walk away.

Take the coming debacle as comic relief. Enjoy it.

Disconnect from whatever causes you stress. If your boss is putting the business out, so what? Look for another job, save your money, and enjoy.

If someone refuses to listen, okay. If someone has so locked him or herself behind walls of asbestos so that you can't warn them, well, that was their karma.

If you're in one of those rapidly being destroyed organizations, well, mark the destruction. Take it as another episode in the 'series'.

Only worry about what you personally can effect.

If you are 'in charge' of something, worry about that. If you are not 'in charge' shrug. Smile. "It's not MY problem."

Stress kills. You've heard that before.

It eats your savings; for you have to pay for all those 'tests' your doctors will send you for to find out why you have all those symptoms.

Stress causes so many physical changes, from rectal bleeding, to excruciating nerve pain, to indigestion, to insomnia, anxiety, just about everything.

It's not that a flag goes up and you realise that you don't have this disease, or that your mind is causing all these symptoms. It never dawns on you that your illness is created and perpetuated by Stress.

Get rid of the Stress; get rid of the illness.

Face the issue, and smile and say; "IT'S NOT MY PROBLM."

And you'll feel better.