The French painter Claude Monet completed over 30 paintings of the Rouen Cathedral in Normandy. Monet studied light; he painted at different times of day and even different seasons. “Things don’t advance very steadily,” observed Monet, “primarily because each day I discover something I hadn’t seen the day before.”
In a recent conversation with Vitaliy Katsenelson (author of Soul in the Game), we discussed the art of having good problems. Katsenelson explains, “There is a difference between suffering and struggling.”
How do you distinguish suffering from struggling?
For Katsenelson, the struggle connects with a purpose (or a worthy pursuit). Similarly, Marcus Aurelius said, “Become indifferent to what makes no difference.” The American philosopher William James put it like this, “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”
We experience suffering when we focus our efforts on pursuits that do not truly matter (and that are outside of our control).
Things that are worthy, the ones that have the why usually come with some amount of discomfort: Writing, kids, exercise, relationships, etc. “Once you figure out why you are doing something, and that why is important to you — suffering turns into struggle and thus becomes more tolerable,” writes Katsenelson.
Life as a Work of Art is about seeing what is possible and then crafting the type of life you want to lead. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche believed the task of “becoming oneself” to be an artistic process. A meaningful life comes from having and solving good problems. The problems that truly matter — to you!
Monet’s good problem was the fleeting light; it kept him coming back to discover something he hadn’t seen the day before. What are your good problems? What are your bad problems?
The writer Fyodor Dostoevsky said (one of my favorite quotes), “The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness.” By discerning the suffering from struggle — we can be more intentional about how, where, and when we focus our attention. The Timeless Art of Leading a Life involves with having and solving good problems.
—
Thank you for reading; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
P.S. Feel free to comment or reach out if you have questions.