“No problem can stand the assault of sustained thinking.”
(Voltaire)

We all know the story of Thomas Edison’s perseverance in creating the lightbulb. He never failed, he just discovered 10,000 ways to not make a light bulb. So we hear.

What doesn’t get enough attention in this story, however, is how Edison never stopped thinking. With each “failure,” he learned something new. With each new attempt, he applied the lessons learned. The problems we face are no different. Every time we struggle there are opportunities for new thought.

Argument with your spouse about having too much month at the end of the money? What did you learn about yourself in the fight? Have you been assigning too much blame and taking too much credit? Is that increasing or decreasing your spouse’s defensive posture? Think.

Aggravated that your kid seems to care less about his grades than you do? Think about it. How might your efforts to motivate him be backfiring? At what point will you allow his grades to be his, and not a reflection on you? Think.

Angst about employees or colleagues not taking enough responsibility? Angry you’re having to do their job on top of yours? As long as you take responsibility for getting them to do their job, they won’t ever take that responsibility for themselves. Think.

When people hear the ScreamFree message for the first time, they often ask what they need to do next. Our answer is always the same:

Think.

Peace begins with pause,