Be More Creative Than Your Obstacles

Anytime you set out to accomplish anything, you better be prepared for obstacles.

Paul and I went hiking a few weeks ago, and we met some obstacles. Several huge trees had been knocked down in a recent storm, and they totally blocked the path. Getting past them was not always easy. Eventually, the trail was completely unseen. As we hiked along the river, the path ceased to exist. I kept thinking we should turn back, rather than say...fall into a river in November.

Paul, just shrugged and kept going, "Anyone can turn around and find the easy trail," he said, "I think we can hike up the waterfalls."

Now, I began wondering why I even brought Paul in the first place. I was just going out for a little hike. He did however, have the foresight to actually grab a backpack with bottles of water in it. What a good process engineer! That's right, I usually bring him along for the practical reasons. He pays attention to details.

But this - hiking up the sides of waterfalls, this was evidence of Continuous Improvement run amuck! I was thinking this is what happens to guys who have spent way too much time leading Six Sigma Events. And yet, there I was, following along like a good little wife, wondering when I would fall in. I was thankful that at least the boy has packed on enough muscle in the last decade to carry me in an emergency.

Did I turn back? No way! The beauty of the waterfalls was too alluring. Besides, as I climbed and hiked and slipped around, I kept thinking of my natural tendency to quit things when they get difficult. I kept looking up the river, and I realized that eventually, we would get where we needed to go, if we just kept going, kept climbing. I enjoyed taking the road less traveled.

When we got back to the trail, I realized that only one shoe even got a bit wet. Why had I been afraid?

I also realized that we all carry "OBSTACLES" in our own backpacks. We may look at our lives and wonder what happened to the trail. We may feel like we've lost our footing, our direction, or just our faith in the future. These are just our temporary realities based on the way we are seeing things. "OBSTACLES" is a rock I choose to remove from my backpack.

"TENACITY" will be its replacement, like an apple of gold. I can eat well from the fruit of tenacity.

Of course I will confront uncomfortable situations in my pursuit of excellence. I don't need to carry around a fear of them. They only become obstacles if I choose to let them deter me. With a bit of creativity instead, they become lovely "climbing toys." Overcoming them is child's play!

Climb on my friend. The view is great from up there!

Proverbs 4:18
18But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.