Never say "Whoa!" in a mudhole

I’ve had a few challenges this week… character building experiences… and there is one phrase that, for a couple days, kept coming to mind at least once an hour. A good friend and mentor of mine named Ken Pierce gave me this advice many years ago. At times when I have been in a slump, discouraged by a perceived lack of progress, or when my objectives keep meeting with obstacles, the words “never say whoa in a mud hole” continue to return to my mind.

What does it mean? Well, if I am in a horse-drawn wagon and have to go through a mud hole, I’d be a fool to stop and wallow in it. The longer I stop, the deeper I could sink, and the harder it would be to get out of it.

Ken taught me that when you’re in a mud hole, you’ve got to accelerate instead! Get through it! Remember why you set out on the journey in the first place, and drive on, with more energy than ever!

Sometimes the mud hole is in reality a terror barrier. If you’ve got a dream for prosperity that you’ve been running toward, and suddenly everything appears to be falling apart, that’s when you have to spend more time picturing the results you want and less time emotionalizing over appearances.

Maybe you’ve heard it this way:

“Fear knocked on the door, Faith answered… and no one was there.”

Most of the time, the thing you fear is nothing more than an illusion in your own mind… it is imagining worst case scenarios that haven’t even happened yet, nor may they ever. It’s using the law of attraction against yourself.

Difficult things will happen to us on our life’s journey, that’s part of the experience. But we can choose to deal with them if and when they happen, rather than expending energy worrying about things that may never manifest. Why would we want to suffer through it more than once? Besides, as a wise teacher once said:

“You can’t worry enough about a problem to fix it.”

By the Law of Polarity you can be sure that when things look their worst, there is, in reality, the potential for an equal and opposite “good” to come out of it. For help with this principle, and to also discover what’s really going on around you when you switch your mindset, visit ProspertheFamily.com

Originally posted in 2010

Leslie Householder
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This Post Has 12 Comments

  1. neil

    Very inspiring and moving!
    Thank you so much.

  2. Barb Johnson

    Leslie,
    Of all the self-help folks around, I’ve found your materials, website and teaching style to be the best! I can hear your sincerity in each sentence. I’m living by the 8 Laws now thanks to you. Take care. Barb

  3. Kathy Anderson

    I love those words! It says it all. Sometimes instead of getting discouraged we need to step back, let Heavenly Father and the universe help us and watch the results unfold. Thank you for this reminder.

  4. Cassie

    Thanks again, Leslie, for sharing exactly what I needed to learn!

  5. MA

    I started my MA and Thesis 5 years ago. After two degrees and 4 Student Teachings I;m almost done and I hit the wall. For this last year, I have done nothing but gather research. I am overwhelmed and paralyzed in a “mudhole”. I’ve lost my confidence and my focus, energy and drive. Terror IS setting in. This article is very timely.

  6. Judy Bailey

    There are no coincidences…funny thing, I really needed this today Leslie! Thanks

  7. Wendy

    This is a great analogy and helps to visualize momentum to me. Thanks so much for your amazing way with pictures that teach. You are great

  8. Paula

    Boy am I in a mudhole! I needed to hear you tell me to concentrate on the principles – picture what I want, not on what I fear. Thank you Leslie – it’s when I most need you, you appear 🙂

  9. Amy

    Leslie, Thank you for posting this article. This advice is so true, and is something I really needed to hear- and I need frequent reminders. The tendency to wallow in hardships is so common, so I read these articles to keep myself on the right track.

  10. Glenda Moyes

    This was just what I needed Leslie. I’ve been down in the dumps because it’s January! Imagine that. But it’s dark earlier and earlier. It’s cold and I hate the cold. But today is the 18th and January is almost OVER! Thanks for the positive thought. I really needed it this morning.

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