We had to deal with an unexpected leak over our dining room….over a Bank Holiday weekend! Why do these things always happen at the least convenient moment?! Grateful to  our lovely lifesaver of a plumber who came to the rescue but, it reminded me of this wonderful description of categorising problems into muddy puddles or, leaky ceilings.

Some problems are like muddy puddles. The way to clear a muddy puddle is to leave it alone. The more you mess with it, the muddier it becomes. Many of the problems I dream up when I’m overthinking or worrying or ruminating fall into this category. Is life really falling apart or am I just in a sour mood? Is this as hard as I’m making it or do I just need to go workout? Drink some water. Go for a walk. Get some sleep. Go do something else and give the puddle time to turn clear.

Other problems are like a leaky ceiling. Ignore a small leak and it will always widen. Relationship tension that goes unaddressed. Overspending that becomes a habit. One missed workout drifting into months of inactivity. Some problems multiply when left unattended. You need to intervene now.

Next time you are facing a problem, take a moment to consider. Are you dealing with a leak or a puddle?