"What's the point? Nothing ever works..." Like a person trying to row an anchored boat with a pair of broken oars, it can be easy to get a feeling of outright, stifling helplessness. This can pervade everything we do, and cease any sort of initiative that would threaten the 'comfort' of going nowhere and doing nothing. Actually doing something to shake off the helplessness can be scary in its ultimate uncertainty.

It's been said that the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself. While that list might reasonably be expanded to include spiders, zombies and universal health care, it's essentially true. Taking the first step is definitely the hardest, but it's like shaking thick mud from a pair of boots. Once you stop adding more fresh fear to the mix, it begins to dry and crack as it weakens. Fear is a wimp among emotions, and holds less and less power against us as we begin to take control of it, and see it more as a warning system and less as a master. You must move forward, because your boots will not clean themselves.

Look at yourself, in a physical mirror or the mirror of your own mind. And acknowledge that yes, you did create the person standing before you. The life you're in is the life that you created by not creating anything better. If you do not swim, you sink by default. And it will get worse if you continue with the same self-defeat. So the scariest option is to try to mentally retreat into the old familiar pattern of listlessness.

Now that you're thinking about taking action, pick an action. You know your life, think of some place where you feel like you're drifting. It doesn't matter if it's relationships, career, health, finance, whatever. Your feeling of powerlessness has got to go, as soon as possible. Matter of fact, it has go during this breath. Draw in one breath of helplessness, thinking about something in your life that makes you feel stuck. Now exhale that breath onto something you can do right now, to change things for the better. It can be anything, no matter how seemingly inconsequential -- even a small step forward is a giant leap. And it will draw momentum.

Before you do anything else, do that thing you just decided on. This article will wait, go do it right now. You have to do this thing, no matter what. Your feelings are living in the past if they tell you about how "terrible," "scary," and "dangerous" it might be. Human beings are terrible at deciding risk versus reward, and you are no exception. Just give yourself a pep talk or something, anything, just make it happen! Maybe it'll just be one tiny change in an otherwise complete static existence -- one tiny change is better than sitting there doing nothing. Do it, and feel good... most people stuck in a self-defeating mindset beat themselves into a miserable early grave.

Alright, you've got one step down. A journey of a thousand miles starts just that way. Or maybe it's only a couple of miles. How will you know if you don't take another step? Do more of the same thing, make another little change... just keep moving forward, and taking action. Yes, Taking action. You are an action raider, a small newborn superhero. Keep taking these steps, however small they may be and however scared you may feel inside. And soon enough, things you consider insurmountable will be all in a day's work.