21 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their springs, it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food.
22 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining against the Lord their God.
23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?
Nephi’s family is in a difficult spot in this passage. His brothers’ bows have lost their springs, and now his bow is broken. Bow hunting is their only means of providing food, and everyone is hungry. Members of the family are spending precious energy on activities which can’t solve the problem: complaining, expressing doubt in the Lord, and blaming Nephi for getting them into this mess.
When we are in uncomfortable circumstances, our thoughts tend to become negative, and our ability to generate new ideas is reduced dramatically. We tend to think in rigid, linear patterns:
I’m hungry. → We need to go hunting. → We have no bow.
In these circumstances, only Nephi’s faith was sufficient to break this pattern of thought. After trying to talk some sense into his brothers (unsuccessfully), he decided to make a bow and arrow from the materials which were available. Then, he enlisted the help of his father to figure out where to go.
True leaders don’t wait for things to happen; they make things happen. They don’t wait for an assignment when there is a problem to be solved, and they don’t assume that someone else will solve it. They are proactive, and they are hopeful. They are willing to tackle important problems–even problems which supposedly can’t be solved–and they think about those problems in creative ways and craft innovative solutions.
Today, I will follow Nephi’s example of proactive and hopeful leadership. I will avoid being trapped by my circumstances into negative thought patterns. I will exercise faith and use my energy to solve problems, instead of complaining or blaming others for the challenges I face.