The Power of Problems: What Prison Break Taught Me About Struggle, Strength, and Faith
“I wrote this as a reminder to myself—something I can return to in hard times. It’s inspired by Tony Robbins’ talks on problems and life’s seasons, and by watching Prison Break. Maybe, in reading it, someone else will find it helpful too. ”
This weekend I found myself watching Prison Break for the first time.
I didn’t expect much. But scene by scene, something in me shifted.
There was something raw and deeply real about watching people face impossible odds—yet keep pushing forward. Every time they made progress, a new problem showed up. Every plan to escape triggered another setback. But they didn’t stop. They couldn’t.
They had a vision. They had each other. And they had faith.
And I realised: this is what life feels like when you're trying to do something big.
💗 Problems Are a Sign of Life
““Problems are a sign of life. The only people without problems are in the cemetery.””
We’re conditioned to think problems mean something’s wrong with our life, our choices, or even ourselves. But what if the opposite is true?
What if problems are evidence that we’re alive, growing, and moving forward?
You don’t get problems sitting still.
You get them when you change something.
When you buy a home.
Move countries.
Start a family.
Start a business.
Decide you want more.
Change always comes with new problems.
But the goal isn’t to avoid them—it’s to level up the quality of the problems you're solving.
⭐️ The Real Problem Is... We Expect Life to Be Easy
There are only ever three ways people respond to problems:
Ignore it—or blame someone else
Come up with a solution—but never act
Take action—and face the discomfort that follows
Most people want change—but they don’t want to change anything.
The truth is, every action you take creates a ripple of new challenges. But if you stick with it, those challenges can become better quality problems.
And the pattern? Well, it’s a cycle:
“Good times create weak people.
Weak people create bad times.
Bad times create strong people.
Strong people create good times.”
—Tony Robbins (and many before him)
If you're in a “bad time,” maybe it’s your season to become strong.
🍂 Life Has Seasons—and Winter Always Comes
Nature doesn’t rush through its seasons—and neither should we.
There will be times in your life that feel like winter. Cold. Isolating. Harsh.
But winter isn’t the end. It’s preparation.
Roots grow deeper in winter.
And some of the best parts of your life will be built in those quiet, hidden, painful seasons.
That’s why you build an emergency fund.
That’s why you prepare—not because you expect the worst, but because you accept that life includes it.
💪🏾 Strength Is Born In Struggle - DON’T GIVE UP
I lost someone I loved last year, they took their own life.
That loss cracked me open.
And reminded me why I believe so deeply in this message.
Problems can feel unbearable. Like they’ll never end.
But never take a permanent action for a temporary problem.
Extreme stress is real and can make you feel like life is against you.
But if you hang on just a little longer—
If you reach out, hold faith, and take one more step—
If you don’t give up, life can turn. The breakthrough will come.
And when it does, your comfort zone expands.
You become stronger. Wiser. Braver.
🙏🏾 Gratitude and Perspective Are Superpowers
Watching Prison Break made me realise how free I actually am.
I have a roof.
A voice.
A choice.
And while my life isn’t perfect—it’s mine.
And I am grateful.
Gratitude doesn’t erase problems, but it reframes them.
You stop asking “Why me?” and start asking “What’s this here to teach me?”
That’s when you start to see struggle differently.
You start using stress rather than letting it use you.
🌍 Immigrants Know This Truth Well
As someone who’s moved between continents, I’ve seen how hardship often produces strength.
Immigrants don’t succeed despite their problems—they succeed because of them.
Because the discomfort forces dreaming.
The obstacles require resilience.
And the uncertainty builds trust in yourself and your vision.
Problems don’t block the path.
They are the path.
🧠 Final Thought
You were not made for a small life.
And you were not made for comfort.
You were made for growth.
And growth is hard.
But if you don’t give up—
If you keep showing up through the stress, the setbacks, and the seasons—
You’ll realise something powerful:
You are stronger than your worst day.
And your extraordinary life is hiding behind the next problem you refuse to run from.
