In the early 1800s, settlers heading west faced all kinds of obstacles — rough trails, swollen rivers, wagons that broke down miles from the nearest help.

One common problem was deep ruts. Over time, wagon wheels carved grooves so deep that once you fell in, you could strain your oxen all the day long and still not move an inch.

Some folks just pushed harder — added more animals, more people, more sweat — still stuck.
But the wiser ones did something different: they stopped fighting the rut long enough to fix it. They got out, looked around, found boards, rocks, or branches, and built a ramp to lift the wheels out. They didn’t just push the problem — they changed the path.

It’s not so different today. We get stuck in old grooves too — same arguments, same excuses, same patterns that never seem to change.

And our first instinct is to push harder. Work more hours. Try the same approach but with double the stress. But sometimes it isn’t about brute force — it’s about stepping back, seeing the rut for what it is, and building a better ramp.

Today’s “Peace of Wisdom” can be found when you stop spinning your wheels and start changing the path.