One of the most powerful methods to go beyond ego and attachment—for our own sake and so that we can effectively benefit others—is to happily greet our problems. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, “The thought of liking problems should arise naturally, like the thought of liking ice cream!” Why think this way?

We all experience one kind of problem or another. They seem to come without warning, no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Essentially, a “problem” is getting what attachment doesn’t want, so we assume it’s bad and do everything we can to push it away, and when we can’t, we suffer even more.

But given that our job as Buddhists is to lessen attachment, anger, and the other painful emotions and grow our compassion, wisdom, and the rest, it follows logically that the perfect opportunity to do this is when things go wrong.

When we’re clear about our goal—the fulfillment of our own marvelous potential and the capacity to benefit others—welcoming our problems and transforming them into happiness is without a doubt the quickest path to success. While it’s the most difficult practice and the most radical, it’s also the most rewarding.