Three men were in a pickup truck driving in the woods when they got stuck in the mud. The driver became angry and began to shout and curse. He pounded on the steering wheel and then sat fuming about their bad luck.

The second man climbed out of the truck and took refuge in the shade of a large tree. “I’m going to hang out here until someone comes along who can tow us out,” he said. He fumbled with his cellphone, getting more and more frustrated when he couldn’t get a signal to call for help.

The third man retrieved an ax and a saw and found a felled tree. He cut pieces to wedge under the tires so the truck could drive out of the mud.

We all get “stuck in the mud” at times as we travel down life’s road. Will you melt down, walk away and do nothing? Or will you embark on a course of action for getting unstuck?

The key is how to get unstuck. I’m referring to the times you feel uninspired or overwhelmed, lack focus, feel anxiety or consider giving up. Do you wait for someone else to shake you out of your funk? Do you ignore the situation and hope it goes away? Or do you reach inside to discover what works for you and use it? Here are some ideas I’ve heard.

Ever heard of power posing? American psychologist Amy Cuddy did a study that found if you stand for 120 seconds like Superman or Wonder Woman, your body chemistry changes. Testosterone increases and cortisol -- the stress hormone -- decreases, which make our bodies and minds feel better and more powerful.

Life coach Tony Robbins also believes the best way to get unstuck is not with your mind, but with your body. He stresses movement, breathing and shifting your body.

Clinical psychologists suggest that before you can get unstuck, you must figure out what the problem is and then deal with it. Studies show that paying more attention to your experiences can help you to gain greater control and insight into your emotions. It can increase your tolerances and help increase awareness. Paying attention to your experiences is a skill, just like riding a bicycle. The better you get at this, the less likely you will get stuck.

From time to time, even the most creative minds get stuck. Like a baseball player who can’t get a hit or a salesperson who can’t close a sale, someone in the midst of a slump can’t imagine the possibility of overcoming it. But ballplayers and salespeople who don’t give up usually manage to work their way out, and so can you. Try some of these strategies:

-- Take some time off. In other words, seek a change of scenery. Instead of increasing your frustration, back away for a while. Go to the movies, visit a museum or attend a sporting event. Taking your mind off the problem can give you a chance to recharge.

-- Talk to people. Don’t isolate yourself. Go out and talk with friends, family members, co-workers, whoever. You don’t have to ask for suggestions or advice. Just open yourself to other conversations and ideas, and allow your mind to shift out of the rut.

-- Change your routine. Shake up your day by taking on tasks in a different order or switching things around in your workplace. Delegate jobs you always do yourself and take on projects that you usually hand off, for example. Or start your day with long-term planning and end it by checking your email if you typically do the opposite.

-- Engage all your senses. Approach the problem from a different angle. What would a solution feel like in your hands, sound like as a song, taste like if it were a beverage? Don’t limit yourself to what you can see. Extend your mind in different directions, and you may find a dimension you hadn’t considered before.

-- Work out. Do something physical to get the blood flowing through your body and your brain. Hit the gym, lift some weights, go swimming or just take a long, brisk walk. Pay attention to your surroundings instead of thinking about the work you’re not doing. You may find a fresh idea right in front of you.

Mackay’s Moral: Don’t let getting stuck leave you out of luck.

Two young men were out in a rowboat when it overturned. Luckily, two women were nearby in another boat and came to their aid. The men were a long way from shore and needed medical attention. Unfortunately, the women had neither a radio nor a motor on their boat.

The women screamed for help at each passing motorboat on the waterway, but their pleas were ignored. By the time they were finally able to secure help, one of the young men had perished from his injuries.

This was the story Lorraine Jara read in her local newspaper one day, more than 30 years ago. Though Jara did not know any of the people involved in this tragedy, it touched her so deeply that she had to do something. So, on August 25, 1988, Jara created Be Kind to Humankind Week.

To encourage others to engage in kind and civil behavior, Jara created the following themes for each day of the special week:

-- Sacrifice Our Wants for Others’ Needs Sunday

-- Motorist Consideration Monday

-- Touch A Heart Tuesday

-- Willing to Lend a Hand Wednesday

-- Forgive Your Foe Friday

-- Speak Kind Words Saturday

Imagine how much nicer the world would be if each one of us committed to adhering to these concepts during this week and every week thereafter.

The smallest act of kindness can have a significant impact on a person’s life. Nice people can finish first. And they have in common some habits that are practically second nature to them. You can develop them too.

First, be kind to yourself. You’ll find being nice to others easier if you build your self-respect with positive thoughts about your personality and achievements.

Treat everyone with respect, and I mean EVERYONE! Don’t worry about who’s on top. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated, regardless of their position or job title.

Say no when necessary. You can’t do everything. But when you do say no, be polite and positive. And when you are making requests, be gracious when someone needs to say no to you.

Plant seeds of kindness. Do something nice every day, even when your kindness may not have an immediate payoff. If you are being kind for some specific reward, you are not being kind, you are being selfish.

Every form of kindness you show doesn't bounce, it reproduces itself. It is good to be good. Be nice. Take the high road.

Here's another story that illustrates this point. A young boy, out on a ramble to study wildlife, became very hungry and decided he would stop at the next farmhouse. A lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he just asked for a glass of water. The woman thought he looked hungry, so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“You don't owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother taught us never to accept pay for kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

Years later, that young woman became ill. The local doctors sent her to the big city, where Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation.

When he heard the name of the town where she came from, his eyes lit up. Immediately, he went down the hall of the hospital to her room. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to cure her illness. From that day, he gave special attention to that case and saw her through her recovery.

Dr. Kelly, one of the four founding doctors of Johns Hopkins Hospital, requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on it. When the woman received the bill, she feared opening it because she was sure it might take the rest of her life to pay for it. Finally, she looked, and noticed something was written at the edge of the note: “Paid in full with a glass of milk.” Tears filled her eyes as she made the connection and remembered the hungry boy she had helped years before.

By the way, Dr. Kelly had a habit of taking care of the bills of three out of four of his patients. Surely this kindness made many of his patients feel much better.

Mackay’s Moral: Being kind should be celebrated every day, not just one week out of the year.

One day, more than one hundred years ago, two young fellows were in a quarrel, and it showed signs of becoming serious. Future President Abraham Lincoln, himself a young man at the time, was called upon to decide the difficulty. One of the combatants, who had been defeated in the decision, and above whom the towering Lincoln stood head and shoulders, boastfully threatened Lincoln.

“See here, Lanky, I’ll lick you!” he shouted.

Abe looked down comically at the small challenger. “All right,” he said, “but let’s fight fair. You are so small there isn’t much of you for me to hit, but I am so big, you can’t help but hit me. So, you make a chalk mark on me that will show just your size. When we fight, you must be sure to hit me inside this mark or it won’t be fair.”

The idea was so ridiculous, the little bully began to laugh, and the quarrel ended as a joke.

Everyone seeks to be treated fairly. Remember when you were growing up and you had a teacher or coach or parent who played favorites? I bet that didn’t make you feel very good.

Fairness is important to employees, but that doesn’t mean you must treat everyone equally. Not everyone is the same. You have high-level producers and others who are content to just do their jobs. If you treat these people equally and pay them equally, you’re also not going to be seen as fair.

The truth of the matter is that life isn’t always fair. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to be as fair as possible.

According to RISMedia, fairness means treating each employee appropriately and individually, based on their circumstances and contributions. Fair companies “treat like cases alike and unalike cases unalike,” says ethics expert Bruce Weinstein.

Bottom line, you can’t play favorites. You hold everyone to the same standards. If employees think they’re not getting a fair deal from your company, they won’t perform as well as you need them to. In fact, morale can be destroyed. The best advice is to follow the Golden Rule: Treat everyone you encounter as you would like to be treated.

Equally important is to lead by example. Be a role model for your employees. If you want them to be at work by 8 a.m., you should be at work before 8 a.m. If you tell an employee they are spending too much time on personal items, you must use your time appropriately.

It’s so much easier when you establish crystal-clear rules. Let employees know what is expected of them in terms of criteria for performance reviews, promotions, raises/bonuses, qualifications for benefits and disciplinary actions. If you judge a rule to be unfair and need to change it, be honest and up-front so employees understand what is happening. Rules always go over better when you have buy-in from employees.

Maintain an open line of communication. I tell my employees that my door is always open. You must give employees a voice and listen to their feedback. And then act on their concerns promptly.

Finally, don’t be afraid to apologize if you make a mistake. No one is perfect. It’s best to admit your mistake and move on. If you fail to acknowledge your own mistakes, your employees won’t think you are fair. Be honest with your employees.

If you truly want to know how employees feel about conditions at your company, here are some questions to ask and then give fair hearing to the answers:

-- Is management’s treatment of all employees respectful and evenhanded? Or are some employees getting the “star” treatment and others offered more leeway in getting assignments completed?

-- Do the organization’s policies for promotion and advancement always seem fair?

-- Does favoritism or special treatment appear to be an issue in raises or promotions?

-- Is management consistent in administering employee policies and rules?

-- Do you feel you always get fair treatment from your manager?

Mackay’s Moral: You must play fair at work if you want to be excellent at work.