Pay attention to the tension: The problem is not the problem

“This has been the most stressful month of the year.” That’s how my friend opened our coffee catch-up. No small talk—just straight into the chaos.

She works in global logistics. With the recent "Tariff war", changes threw her company into disarray. Clients panicked. Strategies had to be rewritten overnight. They didn’t cause the problem, but they were expected to fix it.

It felt like steering a ship in a storm—blindfolded, no compass.

I remember reading something similar in The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg, and it clicked: problems hijack our attention because they point to something that matters.

Attention explained

Let’s look at the big buckets of life: relationships, work, emotions, finances, health, mortality. Can you name a problem in any of these? Of course you can. Because problems aren’t exceptions. They’re constants.

We think: If I could just get rid of my problems, I’d stop worrying.

But problems don’t go away—until we do. So how do we live with them?

We start by understanding what they do to our attention.

Here’s the formula:

Attention = Heightened sense of vulnerability + A diminished sense of power.

When you feel exposed and out of control, your attention spikes. That’s why you spiral, stress, and stew.

My friend’s team felt vulnerable—they didn’t know how tariffs would hit their margins. And powerless—they had no control over client reactions.

Once they named that—vulnerable here, powerless there—they shifted. They stopped fixating on the problem and focused on how they’d respond.

So here’s your move.

1. Write down one problem.

2. Ask:

   • What about this makes me feel vulnerable?

   • Where do I feel powerless?

That’s your cue. Don’t just analyze it. Reflect. Pray. Journal. Talk to someone. Take the steering wheel back.

Because when problems shout, it’s not weakness. It’s a signal: You care. Something matters here.

And when you name it, it gets smaller.

Don’t let problems run the show.

Book a Discovery Call with Charles today if you’re ready to sell with clarity, confidence, and control—even in uncertain times. He’ll help you move from stressed to strategic.