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Stop Whining and Solve the Problem
It may be part of human nature to make things more complicated than they need to be. Instead of getting right to the task of fixing things, we often complain and let issues fester. We look for silver bullets, solutions that will make everything better all at once. But silver bullets are costly and generally add more complexity than they remove. We often make things worse by making things “better”.
I propose that if we have the time to whine, then problems are a luxury.
If we have the time to whine, then problems are a luxury.
Let me illustrate my point by introducing you to Keith Knight.
I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Keith last night at the League of Legends World Championships in Los Angeles. To quote MSNBC:
Knight has a form of it called Amyoplasia Arthrogrypos. That means he was born with far less muscle mass than he was supposed to have and, over time, his joints have stiffened and fused.
Keith is an avid gamer and big fan of League of Legends and Guild Wars 2. But he can’t play like many of us because he can’t use his hands. He plays with his head and mouth.
With his head and mouth!
He had a problem and he solved it. That’s as inspirational as it gets for me. Keith is not whining, he’s getting it done. He wants to play games, so he’s playing them. He didn’t need a silver bullet, he moves the mouse with his head and taps the keys with a pen he holds in his mouth.
Elegant, resourceful, and awesome. That’s solving problems. That’s inspirational.