Problems Aren’t Permanent: Perspective is Your Secret Weapon

When you hit a wall, what do you tell yourself?

I’ve been there—standing in front of something so big it felt like it would swallow me whole. When I was on that plane headed for the Hudson River, I faced the ultimate problem. And in that moment, I discovered a truth I’ve carried with me ever since:

Problems aren’t permanent. They aren’t pervasive. And they aren’t personal.

They’re just problems. And they can be solved.

So why do they feel like they define us?

Because when you’re in the middle of the storm, it’s easy to let the problem feel bigger than it really is.

The Story Behind the Lesson

I was seven when I first learned this lesson, even if I didn’t have the words for it yet.

My mom told me there was no such word as can’t.

At that moment, something clicked. She wasn’t telling me to ignore problems or pretend they didn’t exist. She was telling me that the way I saw problems would decide what happened next.

Fast forward a few decades, and I found myself on US Airways Flight 1549, facing a challenge no one wants:

The engines were gone. The plane was going down.

In those seconds, I realized something important:

Perspective changes everything.

I could have panicked. I could have frozen. But I remembered what my mom taught me—and what life had taught me since. I knew that no matter how big the problem looked, it wouldn’t last forever.

I focused on what I could do. And that made all the difference.

How I Break Down a Problem

When I work with leaders and teams, I teach them the same framework I have used that day—and every day since.

Here’s what I want you to remember when a problem shows up in your life:

1. Problems aren’t permanent.
   • They feel endless in the moment.
   • But no challenge lasts forever.
   • Remind yourself that time keeps moving, and with it, the problem will change—or you will.
2. Problems aren’t pervasive.
   • One challenge in one area doesn’t define your entire life or business.
   • Don’t let a problem at work spill over into your family or health.
   • Keep it contained, and you keep your power.
3. Problems aren’t personal.
   • Challenges happen to everyone.
   • They’re not a reflection of your worth or identity.
   • When you stop taking problems personally, you start solving them faster.

When you remember these three truths, you can step back and see the problem clearly.

Getting Perspective: Your Secret Weapon

What’s the first thing you lose when a problem hits? Perspective.

You zoom in on the issue. It fills your entire field of vision.

But here’s what I learned:
When you step back, you start seeing options.

How do you get perspective when it feels impossible? I’ve used these strategies for decades, and I know they work:

• Breathe.
  The first step to perspective is staying calm.
  In a crisis, your body wants to panic. Override it. Take slow, deep breaths.
• Ask better questions.
  Don’t ask, “Why is this happening to me?”
  Ask, “What’s the next best step I can take right now?”
• Talk it out.
  Find someone you trust. Say the problem out loud.
  Sometimes just hearing your own words helps you see the solution hiding in plain sight.
• Remember your wins.
  You’ve overcome problems before.
  Recall a time you faced something hard and found a way through.
  Stack those patterns and use them to guide you now.

The Patterns That Save Us

When people ask me how I kept calm during the Miracle on the Hudson, I tell them it wasn’t a fluke.

I had spent my life stacking patterns—collecting experiences of challenges I faced, decisions I made, and outcomes I achieved.

When the engines failed, my mind flipped through those patterns like a Rolodex.

I knew what it felt like to make a quick decision. I knew what it felt like to trust myself under pressure. I knew what it felt like to take action even when fear was screaming at me.

And I did it.

The patterns you build in your life are there to serve you in your toughest moments.

Seeing Problems for What They Really Are

So many people stay stuck because they see their problems as permanent, pervasive, and personal.

But what if you flipped that script?

What if you looked at every challenge as temporary?

What if you saw it as something that touches only a part of your life, not the whole thing?

What if you understood that a problem is not a reflection of your value, but just a test of your strategy?

That’s when everything changes.

What I Want You to Remember

You don’t need to work harder to solve problems.

You need perspective.

You need strategy.

When you stack those two, you take back your power.

So the next time a problem shows up, pause.

Remind yourself:

• This won’t last forever.
• This doesn’t define every part of my life.
• This isn’t about me as a person.

Then step back.

Take a deep breath.

And ask yourself:

What’s the next best step I can take right now?

That one question has saved me more times than I can count.

Because when you have a strategy, you don’t just survive problems.

You solve them.

And you come out stronger on the other side.

Live your life with clarity, courage, and strategy—because problems are just moments waiting for your next best move.