I am not sure if you have kids or not, but chances are that you
may have at least heard this song when you were growing up. I first heard my wife sing it to our
son. It is kind of fun. If you want to listen to it, just click the hyperlink below. It goes something like this.
Going on a bear hunt… Coming to a river. Can’t go under it. Can’t fly over it. Let’s get in the boat!
Now if you were singing along and went through the hands motions,
don’t worry, no one was looking.
Actually, I can’t promise that no one was looking, but I can promise
that when you start making progress to meet your bear in life, you will
encounter obstacles. There are a couple
of ways to handle these obstacles.
Turn Back
This option rarely solves anything. In real terms, you have a goal and are making
progress. You come to an obstacle and
instead of overcoming or finding alternatives, you turn around and go back
where you came from…unsuccessful, bored, unmotivated, and purposeless. This is no way to live. Don’t turn back!
Camp Out
Some people camp out. I
find this kind of humorous. I have done
it so I am laughing at myself. Picture
this. You are walking towards your bear
of a goal, you come to this obstacle river, and pitch camp to decide what to
do. You way over-analyze the problem,
and start drawing plans to engineer a bridge.
Soon, you realize you have to build a house here and you begin to
decorate the place. Before you know it,
you have decided that this obstacle isn’t all that bad. Instead of pursuing your God-given dream, you
decide to settle.
Get Wet
This can actually be fun!
Just jump in and swim across the river.
This is not always the best option though. Some people just aren’t good swimmers. Also, the river could be raging and it would
not be wise for anyone to jump in and swim across.
Look for Alternatives
Sometimes, a second pair of eyes can help you to find
alternatives. What tools do you
have? Is there something close by that
might help you get across? Was this in
your plan? Did you bring a map? Life Coaches are like cell phone guides when
a person is stuck. They can’t see
everything you have, but they can ask questions to get you thinking. Lots of times we focus on the problem and
lose the vision for possibilities.
Go the Long Way Around
This is not always a bad idea, but it requires persistence and
accountability. In reality you can’t
always overcome your obstacles or you do not have the right resources, so you
have to go around the long way. This can
be a fun journey and provide excellent experience that will help you when you
meet your bear of a goal.
I would like to suggest that of all the options we just
discussed, there are only three options that we should consider in life. First, we should look for alternatives. Second, we should get wet and swim through if
you can swim and the conditions are right.
Third, we can go the long way around.
I hope the next time you get stuck because of an obstacle, and we all
do, that you will remember the bear hunt song, and visit my website to set up
an appointment through my contact
page.
Nick
Massey is a Life Coach, Speaker, and Writer.
To read more from Nick Massey, or to schedule him for a Life Coaching
session, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our
website at http://www.coachmassey.com. © 2014 Nick Massey
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