By Rueben Mayes

“One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.”  Albert Schweitzer

Have you ever been stuck on a problem and thought, is there a solution, will I ever find a pathway that gets me back on track and successful? You would think with all the information at our finger tips the light at the end of the tunnel would reveal itself easily. I will never forget a critical time in my first NFL training camp with the New Orleans Saints when I was stuck and ready to throw in the towel. My left Achilles tendon was sore and I was battling fatigue in the Hammond, Louisiana training camp. My dream of playing professional football was fading before my eyes because my injury became the center of my adversity and I did not see a way out. I called my then girlfriend and now wife Marie (married 29 years) and told her to buy two round-trip tickets to Jamaica for I was done. She encouraged me to call my agent. I got good advice from my agent, “go to sleep and talk to the coach in the morning”. New Orleans Saints Head Football Coach Jim Mora said everything would be fine, just take a few weeks to rest the Achilles. That year I would earn NFL Rookie of the Year and be selected to play in my first NFL Pro Bowl.

There are always pathways or solutions to help us move through times when we are stuck. Whether it’s new information, involvement of a team member or consultant, or just a good night sleep to get a fresh perspective, we need to be flexible and open to all the options before us. Every day the work we do offers the opportunity to grow if we are willing to seek all the resources around us. No problem is too small or large that can’t be solved in our desire to succeed.