Address problems early on, before they become too big

Even though it might be tempting at times to run away from our problems, doing so won't make them go away.

The nature of most problems is akin to the cartoonist cliche of the snowball rolling over the hill. When left unattended, problems grow. And they grow to create more problems. A small flame left unchecked often leads to multiple firestorms.

Avoiding tough conversations with the people we care about won't make the underlying, interpersonal problems disappear. Resentment tends to build up. And people who were once close to us eventually fade away from our life.

Pretending a debt doesn't exist might provide us with temporary relief. But one bill left to pay can be relatively easy to tackle when compared to eight bills plus penalty fees, a debt collection and a damaged credit score.

To take care of ourselves and the people we love, we must cultivate courage to face our problems head on. To make addressing them directly and early on our priority. Before we run out of options.