During April Showers, Focus on the May Flowers!

Prosperity Partners

Problems

Some people say "April showers" is a metaphor for the difficult times. You might call the source of these times problems. A problem is simply the difference between what you have and what you want. In most situations, real problems and root causes are obscured by apparent problems in other words, what you think is the problem may not really be the problem.Try the "Five-Why Process." Ask "Why did this problem happen?" to discover its underlying problem; then ask "Why?" again to go deeper by another level until you reach the root cause. Asking "why" repeatedly, possibly more than five times, can get you to the real source of the problem and solve it forever.

Chances are you encounter problems in your life. Here is one of many possible models of problem solving.

1. Problem identification...What is my concern?
2. Goal definition...What do I want to achieve or change?
3. Brainstorming...What can I do?
4. Consequences...What might happen?
5. Decision...How should I do it?
6. Implementation...Do it!
7. Evaluation...Did it work?

Live Your Dreams

May flowers may represent the fruits of your labors, or your dreams that live just on the other side of your problems. So now that your problems are all gone (or soon will be) let's tackle those dreams! Try these steps:

• Acknowledge that you have dreams. You may have buried them, but you still have them.
• Write down your dreams.
• Break your dreams down into small steps.
• Identify and address the barriers and obstacles you face. Don't let reasons be your reason for not living your dream.
• Find people who will support you. Surround yourself with people who are chasing down their dreams.
• Celebrate what is working, address what isn't.
• Do not be stopped by fear. Usually we are afraid of things that aren't even happening.

• Mount Waialeale, Hawaii receives the highest average annual rainfall of 460 inches. Compare that to Iquique, Chile, where no rain fell for 14 years.
  
• 1 inch of rain falling on 1 acre is equal to about 27,154 gallons of water.
  
• The 48 continental United States receive enough precipitation in one year to cover the land to a depth of 30 inches. That works out to about 1,430 cubic miles of water, and about 6.6 billion tons.