When times get tough, sometimes the only way to rise above it all is to think outside the box. Every time you respond to a challenge with conscious, principle-based action, you dodge another bullet.

Here’s a powerful example of one man who did exactly that during the Great Depression:

My friend Glenn once shared a story about his grandfather that has stuck with me. His grandfather was a banker in 1933, the year Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a United States Bank Holiday from March 6 to March 10. The goal was to stop depositors from collapsing the system by withdrawing all their money in a panic.

Banks were allowed to reopen only after proving that their reserves matched or exceeded the amount deposited. If a bank was unsound, it would remain closed or apply for a government loan to stay afloat. (Wikipedia)

Glenn told me that, according to his grandfather, one out of every three banks never reopened.

When he got word that his bank had to close, Glenn’s grandfather understood the weight of what was coming. He could have panicked or played the victim, but instead, he chose to lead with resourcefulness. He knew the announcement alone would trigger fear in the community—and when the bank reopened, there would likely be a run on the money.

But he saw something deeper: that more than money, what people really needed was peace of mind.

So he thought outside the box.

He reached out to the top four women’s church leaders in the community and asked them to organize a neighborhood barbecue to celebrate the bank holiday. He told them to get everything they needed—food, supplies, whatever it took—and he would foot the bill if they would prepare and serve the meal.

The event went off without a hitch. When the bank reopened, nobody asked for their money. In fact, the trust he’d built through that act of generosity and leadership helped his bank thrive through the Great Depression.

No matter how dark things may look, you can choose to be resourceful.

Start by looking around—who needs help? What small thing could make someone’s day better? Don’t underestimate what those actions can ripple into.

Leave every person you meet with an “impression of increase.” Leave them better than you found them.

Fear leads us to react in ways that can make things worse. But choosing to think prosperously in the face of fear—that’s what leads to the solutions.

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