Most of us keep doing what we’ve been doing, denying it isn’t working.  As one of my friends likes to say, “How’s that working out for you?”  Start to step away from the story we keep hearing and into the story you’re creating.

Off in the wilderness, away from the racket of the TV and the newspaper and the radio and the Internet, we can start to step away from the story we keep hearing and into the story we’re creating—or should/could be creating.

Blaming the times we live in doesn’t work, as it reinforces the status quo, when often “bad” times open unique opportunities and provide extra motivation to change and grow.   “I’d love to, but times are bad,” is one of the greatest myths.   Get past it—it’s a sticking point, not a reality.  Oh, times can be bad, fair enough.  But that doesn’t mean this or any other time is a bad time to get started—quite the opposite is often true.

For example:

*Are you interested in starting a business?  When the economy is in a downturn, prices of the many things you may need are lower, from equipment to buildings to vehicles, especially used items from people going out of business.  You help them recoup their investment while you get a jump start on your new enterprise.

*Do you need to write a successful proposal?  A lot of people tell themselves there’s no point in doing this when money is tight—which only makes your chances better!  Seriously—your odds are better in bad times than in good.  Whether you’re looking for a federal, state, or local grant, or funding from a foundation or corporation, those funds are still sitting there.   Sometimes—literally—they never get used, because no one asked.  Ask.

*Is the Job market tough right now?   This is exactly the push many people get toward taking those moves that make their lives far richer, from getting more education to starting that endeavor they were nervous about leaving a job to do.   What better time?!  Nothing more to lose, and everything to gain.

Let’s look at some other common complaints.  But let’s call them what they are, in this context—excuses.  That’s right.  Laments such as these:

*The government is the problem—you just can’t survive in this political climate with these regulations (or lack of regulations).

*Taxes are the problem—an honest person just can’t make a living when “all the money goes toward wasteful programs.”

*The global situation is the problem—people just don’t buy local anymore;  no one cares about supporting workers in this country, and foreign competition is stealing all our business.  Damn soul-less international corporations!

*My community is the problem—people around here just don’t care.

…are all irrelevant excuses.   Yes, I said excuses.  Yes, I said irrelevant.  The problems may indeed be as you see them, but they are irrelevant to the decision to get unstuck.  These situations (and many others) merely set the ground rules, and those ground rules dictate neither the opportunities nor the fruits of pursuing those opportunities.  The strategies may change as the conditions evolve, but there are always opportunities in the new situations.  People will still have needs;  needs will still need to be filled.  That means businesses and jobs.

And one more irrelevant excuse….uncertainty.  This freezes many businesses and economies from time to time.   They aren’t sure what to do…so they do nothing while waiting to see, and consequently, economic activity slows.  That worsens the uncertainty, and nothing gets done out of fear of making the wrong move.

But to get unstuck means not making the “right” decision, but making ANY decision.  Really, honestly—ANY decision.  Once the decision is made, even if distasteful, even if not ideal, business and economies again know the rules and can act accordingly.  For example, it’s not this legislation or that international agreement or these economic indicators that are the problem—it’s not knowing which way they’ll go.  Even if they go the “wrong” way, people now know the new rules and can plan and act accordingly.   Motion again.

The same is true for individuals.  Decide what you want to do, and do it.   Have a reasonable plan, but if it’s the wrong one, adjust it and move forward.   Only staying frozen is guaranteed to keep you stuck.

Of course, most of us keep doing what we’ve been doing, denying it isn’t working.  As one of my friends likes to say, “How’s that working out for you?”

Are you interested in hearing more about Wilderness Hikes as projects evolve in the future? Let me know here, so I have a list of those interested ready to go, by clicking here (and page all the way down to click “Sign Up” at the bottom):
Join the “Wilderness Hike” list.

If you’d like to hear about my “Getting Unstuck” book as it gets closer to release, let me know by clicking here (and you’re welcome to do *both,* of course–page all the way down to click “Sign Up” at the bottom):
Join the “Getting Unstuck” list.

October 2012 is a series of daily posts about “A Wilderness Hike,” taking readers through the healing of wilderness experience and glimpses of my work at Kwan Yin Healing and of my book, “Getting Unstuck.”

You can read the series from the start via the links here:

Oct. 1:    A Wilderness Hike
Oct. 2:   The Sixth Hour
Oct. 3:   Snowy Mountain
Oct. 4:   Letting Go of Baggage–the Wilderness Way
Oct. 5:   “Bear” the Thought
Oct. 6:   Mountain.  Buddha.  Impermanence.
Oct. 7:   The Rewards of Rain
Oct. 8:   Finding the Keys
Oct. 9:   “I’d love to, but times are bad.”
Oct. 10:  Attracting the Law of Attraction
Oct. 11:  We are not our thoughts
Oct. 12:  Honesty, Forgiveness, Healing
Oct. 13:  Getting Unstuck:  Feeling Overwhelmed
Oct. 14:  Money is remarkably easy to come by, if that’s all you want.
Oct. 15:  To be Time Rich, Learn to Be
Oct. 16:  Changing Thoughts for Changing Work
Oct. 17:  Finding and Sharing your Gifts
Oct. 18:  Do you want to be the boss?  Be sure you want to run the show.
Oct. 19:  Finding jobs within jobs
Oct. 20: Bright Mountain Dream
Oct. 21: Escape the Wilderness of Addictions
Oct. 22: The Importance of Spiritual Direction
Oct. 23: In Search of Enlightenment
Oct. 24: Relationship Thoughts from the Wilderness
Oct. 25: We learn in realtionships
Oct. 26: Chrysalis
Oct. 27: Self-Healing, part 1
Oct. 28: Self-Healing, part 2:  Time for a new perspective
Oct. 29: Dix Mountain
Oct. 30: The Mist-Filled Path
Oct. 31: From Wilderness to Wondrousness

Enjoy!