Dealing with Roadblocks

I remember hearing a story about a young person with autism who regularly went for a bike ride, following the same route each time. One day he did not return home. When his family went looking for him, they found him standing, bewildered, at a sign indicating a road closure. If you are familiar with ASD (autism spectrum disorders), you may feel that this is predictable, given a common difficulty with imagining new responses or solutions to novel situations.

Yet I believe that many of us suffer from the same difficulty--perhaps not with actual roadblocks out on the highways and byways, but more likely with "life's roadblocks." From receiving a diagnosis for a young child (whether or not it was anticipated), to facing difficult behaviors, to struggling through sleepless nights, to manipulating diets or medications to achieve maximum results, to striving to teach an important but seemingly difficult lesson, we are frequently faced with what at first glance may appear to be the end of the road.

At such a roadblock, we need to determine whether we will shut down while viewing it as a permanent dead end, or look around for new options so that the roadblock becomes only a temporary setback. Business-woman Mary Kay Ash apparently has said, "For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour."

How can you develop a detour? How do you keep going when you feel as though you're at the end of your road?

- Find just one thing to try that's different from what you've tried before.

- Allow yourself to rest for a moment, taking time to assess the situation and think through possible alternatives.

- Ask for directions. Utilize the creativity, gifts, and experiences of those around you to spark new possibilities for your situation.

- Remember that tomorrow is a new day, bringing with it new opportunities and perspectives.

- Look back on where you've been--sometimes this perspective shows the progress you've been making, even though it's been achieved through baby steps, or even when it feels as though you've not been moving at all!

- Recognize that the new route you take may end up being better in the long run than the one you were on previously.

What other ideas do you have? How do you keep perspective even when you're up against difficult odds or roadblocks? I hope you'll share your ideas here, or on our Facebook page.

I'll close with a quote from pioneering automaker, Henry Ford: "Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and ‘grieves’ which we endure help us in our marching onward."

Best wishes as you face temporary setbacks and turn them into stepping stones on your journey in parenting, teaching, or growing as an individual!