The Problem-Solving Power of Taking Action

I thought Stella was dead.

Stella is my neighbor’s new dog. She’s some sort of dachshund mix, weighs maybe 5 lbs, and looks like a squirrel.

My dog is a Great Pyrenees mix, weighs 90 lbs, and looks like the abominable snowman.

So when the little dog squeezed through the fence, the big dog took off after her.

I quickly intervened, scooped Stella up, and gently placed her back in her yard. Her heart was beating at least 500 beats/min. So was mine.

I looked at my neighbor’s house and silently screamed “I told you so.” I had warned her that Stella could get through the fence.

Her reply was “Oh, I don’t think she’ll do that.”

I had two choices: 1) Tell my neighbor to “fix” the fence on her side so Stella lives a long, happy life, or 2) Fix the fence on my side.

There is nothing wrong with the fence, FYI. It’s just that Stella is so darn small she can fit through the slats.

I chose option 2. I drove to Home Depot, bought some netting used to keep rabbits out of gardens, and stapled it to the fence.

Problem solved in exactly 1 hour with $40 and a staple gun.

As I stepped back and admired my solution, it occurred to me how many problems I could solve (and relationships I could preserve/repair) if I just took immediate action when problems pop up.

Can you relate?