SDA Bocconi Asia Center

Often times, as soon as something goes wrong or a challenge appears in our life, all of our attention is placed primarily on whatever the issue or challenge is. I think back to the last time something came up in my life that was a challenge or an issue. I think about a big challenge, like something that just caught me off guard and caused a major change in my life. I also think of a smaller issue, like someone pushing my buttons or saying something that was inappropriate. Then I ask myself how did I handle those situations? My immediate reaction was an emotional one that is being upset by what happened and focus entirely on how I could get rid of the issue but then my mentor told me there is nothing wrong in doing that but we should manage the problems with the best mindset and perspective.  By doing this we have a clear mind and can calmly decide on what our next step should be to get the best results. He told me that often it is necessary and important to know the root cause of the problem and not run looking for the solution of the problem that is knowing the formulation of the problem is more important than the solution. It is very challenging to always react calmly to situations, especially with those that upset you. I generally give myself a little pat on the back and credit for not allowing any negative emotions to take over and respond to the situation in the best way.