We tend to be the creators of many of our own problems.  From overeating to sleep deprivation, frantically packed schedules to being in debt up to our eyeballs…these are all issues we create for ourselves for a variety of reasons and factors.  Sometimes these problems combine and start to snowball and things get really out of control.  So how do we stop the snowball?

Courtesy of tothewoods.net

Today’s post is a continuation of my “Lessons from the Trail” series – life lessons and observations from my time on the Appalachian Trail.  During this time during my hike I was in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The park environment had created a problem.  Hunting of black bears was not allowed in the park so they had lost their fear of humans.  The bears would enter campsites and other places, drawn by the scent of food.  (Bears find our food to be as tasty as we do.)  One solution the park implemented was fencing in the front of the hiker shelters with heavy-gauge chain link fencing.  It was basically a reverse of being in the zoo.  The hikers were inside the cage and the bears were outside.  Someone aptly engraved the saying, “Don’t feed the humans!” on one of the shelter walls.

The problem in the park was the humans.  There are lots of humans in the park and picnic basket stealing bears aren’t as cute or friendly as Yogi.  People may not like the idea of hunting bears, but a systematic limited hunting of the bears would instill within them a healthy fear of humans and would have solved the problems that were plaguing the park.  The fencing was just a band-aid not a solution.

In our lives, various events, people and choices may combine to leave us trapped and looking out at our troubles.  So how do you get out and tear down the fences?  How do you fix the problem and not just band-aid it?

Think.  A good number of our problems can be worked through and a solution can be devised.  Many times we don’t stop to think before we act.  There are any number of tragedies on the news each day where if ‘calm heads’ (that’s a thinking head) were to prevail then things would have been tremendously different.

Plan.  I’m a big fan of having a plan.  Everyday I walk into my office and scribble out my plan for the day on my white board or on a piece of scratch paper.  Big problems don’t necessarily need a big plan.  Sometimes a simple plan will make a world of difference.  What’s the issue(s)?  What needs to be done?  What measurable steps can you take to get to where you want to be?

Act.  Some people get caught in a cycle of thinking, doubting and worrying.  One of the best ways to stop the snowball is to act on your thoughts and plans.  It might be a big change or a small one.  Maybe you have to cut out negative influences in your life.  Perhaps after reevaluating your priorities you find you need to go in a different direction.  Thinking and planning do no good if there is no action.

Pray.  Throughout all of this, prayer is a good idea.  Sincere, heartfelt prayer (not saying grace at dinner) can open a person up to guidance and insight that is not available without God’s help.  Prayer should be involved in each of these steps.

Go Crazy. I’m not talking about letting your problems make you lose your mind.  There is a good kind of ‘going crazy.’  Jon Acuff has a saying – “Punch fear in the mouth.”  Got problems?  Go crazy on them.  Work, pray and act like your life depends on your efforts.  Have a teenager that is heading down a dangerous path?  Be ‘that parent’ who does crazy things to love, protect, and challenge their child.  On the brink of divorce?  Be ‘that spouse’ that does crazy things to show love, concern and devotion.  In debt up to your eyeballs?  Go crazy on it!  Sell everything that’s not nailed down.  Cut off every non-essential service at your house.  Get a second job.  —  You get the point.  If your problems make you feel like you are trapped, it’s time to do something crazy…something different.

Final thoughts…

Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back every now and then.  We can be our own worst enemies sometimes by never allowing ourselves to have some satisfaction in what we have accomplished.  Surround yourself with positive, honest, encouraging people who you feel comfortable opening up with about your struggles and troubles.  Recognize that most of your problems didn’t happen overnight and it will take time for things to improve.  Little victories everyday win the battle.  And remember, most of us struggle with doubt and fear – “Don’t feed the humans!” – meaning, don’t feed your doubts and fears.  Learn to control them and use them to fuel your desire for change.

By the way, the shelters in the Smokies no longer have the fence enclosures.  I guess someone thought about it and figured out there was a better way to fix the problem.  Did today’s reading encourage you?  Consider using the share buttons below to share this with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.