Embrace your problems. (Episode 233)
Today’s lesson: embrace your problems. It will make your life better.
“I could not imagine my life without problems – it would be so sad.”
These are the words of Apostol Spassov from Sofia, Bulgaria.
When he was just 16 (!) years old, he and a couple of his friends realized that Sofia was one of the few capital cities in the EU that did not have a planetarium – so they decided to fix that.
They had no budget, no experience in building planetariums, and very few contacts – but they had a dream and they had the determination to make it happen.
Bulgaria is one of the poorest countries in the EU so they could not count on a lot of help from the government, but they would get a small grant of a few thousands euros here, and a few thousand euros there. And every time they got a grant they would build a bit more on their dome.
Less than two years after coming up with the idea the planetarium was opened. It’s not the largest planetarium on the planet – it might actually be the smallest, as it only seats 13 people on bean bags for each show.
The planetarium is now a success, and it is profitable. (Turns out that one of their best-sellers are “date night” where a couple can rent the whole dome to project a starry sky while the couple dine in the dome that has been covered on rose petals.
When I recently met with Apostol, he shared with me that had he known about all the problems that the planetarium building would bring, he might have hesitated to build it, but once they started on the project, they could not stop.
Perhaps the ignorance that comes at the beginning of a creative project is something we should celebrate. That early ignorance is what makes humans go on a lot of creative adventures that we otherwise would not have gone to.
What inspired me so much about Apostol Spassov was his approach to problems.
Sitting in the dome, under a million (artificially projected) stars he told me:
“Problems are what makes life cool.”
“Cool?!”, I said.
He replied: “Yes! If you had no problems, life would be so boring! I could not imagine my life without problems – it would be so sad.”
This approach to problems – no, this approach to life! – is what creates a better world.
People who welcome, thrive and feed on problems are people who create, improve and innovate.
Listen to the wisdom of this young man sitting proudly in his dome: “Problems are what makes life cool.”
So have more problems. Solve bigger problems. And approach your problems with a positive mindset of having them inspire you – not tie you down.
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Nov