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Every problem points to something you deeply care about.

Fighting reality often creates more suffering than the problem itself.

Acceptance creates space for wiser, more values-driven action.

When I planted my summer garden in May, I was most excited about the sunflowers. I had finally solved the problem of our ground squirrels. My bedroom window looks out over the garden, and now the sunflowers are a good five feet tall, with buds forming. When I wake up in the morning, they are the first thing I look for.

Except, smack in the middle of my view is the construction workers’ porta-potty.

Many mornings I look out there, hoping to see a sunflower, and instead I see an electrician exiting, pulling up his fly.

Such is our experience in life. Just as soon as we solve one problem, another one is blocking our way, interrupting our happiness.

Before I go on, consider this:

What are the sunflowers in your life right now?

What is the porta-potty?

Problems are like ground squirrels and construction workers—they keep coming back, and you don’t get to decide when. So, what should we do when they do? Here are five things to consider, based on acceptance and commitment........

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