A while back, we had an underground plumbing problem. A hole was dug, and for the coldest days of winter, a piece of our home’s water intake was exposed to temperatures many degrees below freezing.

I let water drip in the tub, but it was so cold I wanted to provide some insulation to the exposed section of the pipe–six feet down in a frozen mud hole. I couldn’t think of a good way, but my Dad brilliantly suggested that I tie string to a full bag of trash and lower it onto the exposed pipe. Voila! An efficient, effective, cheap and appropriate solution.

There are many obstacles in business. Many things we can’t do. Seth Godin writes in his excellent blog post of March 2, 2009 that we should look for a way through.

And as he correctly points out, those who see a way through often have a motive for doing so. More customers are served then.

Perhaps we can get through economic hard times with the right attitude and a little ingenuity. Watch people in the fast lane.

Peter Rubel