The weeds are not a problem.
The whining that someone isn’t sharing with someone else is not a problem.
The itching on my arms from pulling the weeds, that are still not a problem, is not a problem.
I was channeling a spiritual guide/motivational speaker who said something like, “Stop bothering yourself with problems that aren’t problems.”
He explained that the things that we put energy into are only problems if we think they are problems.
One of the examples he gave was the rain. I can notice it is raining, grab an umbrella and go about my day. Or I can say, “Oh no, it is raining. I hate rain.”
See how much extra energy went into the second reaction? I decided the rain was a problem and then the rain became a problem instead of a necessary part of the water cycle.
I decided that morning I was going to ascend to a new level of awareness and not have any problems. Hakuna Matada, right?
My intention was set and things were going according to plan until I looked up from my growing pile of not-problems and suddenly saw some problems.
Hitting one’s little brother with a rake is a problem.
Throwing a shovel at one’s big brother is a problem.
Dealing with the hitter and the thrower without getting hurt is a problem.
I still have a lot of work to get to the point where I stop “bothering myself” but in the meantime, I can be present while noticing and disarming the problems.