Ever literally mopped or painted your way into a corner?  You start at the wrong end of the room and then end up stuck standing on the only dry spot of floor until the whole thing dries and you can make your escape.

Life paints us into corners, too.  We find ourselves stuck and wait for something to change so that we may proceed.  Instead of focusing on the predicament, ask yourself, "How can I use this?  What can I learn from it?  How can I use my time constructively while my exits are blocked?  What creative solutions can I find?  How can I create a new way out or forward?"

To children, edges aren't barriers.  Have you ever watched young children draw or paint?  They get to the edge of the paper, realize they've run out of room, and simply go back and work on top of what they've already painted or continue drawing on another sheet of paper.   Recently, I discovered an enthusiastic pencil had run out of room on my daughter's easel and continued its narrative across every wall of my home.

Edges aren't barriers to writing, either.  As adults, when we hand write and run out of room we're likely to crumple up the paper and start over.  But have you noticed how children work through this problem with creative solutions?

My daughter is learning to write.  She's got the concept of writing from left to right, but she doesn't always begin at the far left of the page and frequently runs out of room to complete her word.  Her creative solution?  She goes back and fills the empty space preceding the first letter. 

So the next time you find yourself painted into a corner, take heart from your children. Turn an obstacle into a success.