Get Out of Your Own Way: The Mental Health Warrior’s First Step with Winnie the Pooh
- Bruce Schutter
- Aug 18
- 7 min read
One perfectly ordinary Tuesday morning, I had a revelation: if I wanted to unlock the full power of being a Mental Health Warrior — I had to stop getting in my own way!
Sounds simple, right? But try convincing your reflection at 7:30 a.m. that you’re strong enough to win the battle for your mental health. Not so easy.
I know this struggle all too well. For over 20 years, I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD. That relentless inner voice wasn’t just planting doubts — it was building entire roadblocks. “You can’t do this,” it sneered. “You’re a mess — better to let someone else deal with it!” And I believed it. Instead of taking charge, I stood on the sidelines while my struggles ran the show.
Eventually, things got so dark I hit rock bottom. I felt completely powerless and even tried to end my life. But in that darkest moment, I discovered something life-changing: mental health is the key to triumphing over any challenge.
The very struggles that had controlled me for so long became the fuel for something new. That’s when I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold new SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge. With it, you can take control of your emotions, rise above challenges and build the life you really want!
The Warrior's First Step
And do you know what the first step was? The simplest yet most empowering one: Get Out of Your Own Way!
I had to stop letting that inner voice dictate my actions. I had to tear down the mental roadblocks I’d been building for years. And I had to learn to trust myself again — not blindly, but by proving, little by little, that I was capable of being in control.
This journey wasn’t about waiting for the perfect moment or hoping someone else would swoop in to fix things. It began with a single, powerful step: choosing to trust myself again. One small victory at a time, I started to reclaim my life.
That’s why I wrote I Triumphed over Bipolar, Alcoholism, and Anxiety Disorder by Becoming a Mental Health Warrior. It’s the blueprint for getting started — a step-by-step guide to help you take action, tear down your own roadblocks, and begin trusting yourself again.
Because the first step isn’t just about knowing what to do, it’s about having the courage and tools to actually do it.
Pooh's First Warrior Steps
With my newfound determination, I decided to get out of the house and clear my mind. As I strolled through the park, who should I see but Winnie the Pooh himself, sitting on a bench and looking more glum than I’d ever seen him. His honey jar sat untouched beside him — a rare sight indeed.
“Pooh, you okay?” I asked gently. He looked up, managing a weak smile. “Oh, Bruce, it’s just everything. The news, all the uncertainty, and sometimes… well, I’m stuck struggling with my mental health and I can’t seem to move forward.”
I sat down beside him. “Pooh, I know exactly how that feels. I used to feel stuck too — like no matter what I did, I couldn’t move forward. That’s why I created the Mental Health Warrior Program.
And a powerful first step on your warrior journey is this: Get out of your own way!”
I smiled. “It’s easier than it sounds, Pooh. Let me show you three simple steps to help you take action.”
Step 1: Shut Down the Mind Games
Imagine you’re a new driver in a city you’ve never been to before. You’re gripping the steering wheel, and every road sign is screaming: “Wrong way!” “Turn back!” “Do you even know what you’re doing?!”
That was my mental landscape. Anytime I dared to think confidently, my mind’s security system went into overdrive — throwing up 10-foot walls, installing floodlights, and topping everything off with barbed wire for good measure.
The first step in the Mental Health Warrior Program — Get Out of Your Own Way — meant challenging that security system. But honestly, it felt like I’d just handed myself a legal summons to appear in court. I was Bruce Schutter, not Iron Man, and now I was supposed to take down the Iron Curtain of self-doubt? Yeah, right.
But here’s the twist: it worked. Bit by bit.
The self-help approach wasn’t about bulldozing the wall overnight. It was about showing up for myself every day, even if all I did was move one single brick. And as I chipped away, I realized something: that massive, intimidating wall? It wasn’t made of steel. It was just fear — flimsy, unfounded fear.
Pooh’s Takeaway:
“Well,” Pooh began thoughtfully, “sometimes I stand at the edge of the Hundred Acre Wood and see a sign that says, ‘No Honey Beyond This Point.’ And, truth be told, I used to think, ‘Oh, bother. Best not to risk it.’
Pooh tapped his head, his eyes brightening. “It’s not about avoiding what’s ahead — it’s about stopping the mind games and taking that first step anyway. Every time I do, I open the door to something new and wonderful. And each step forward makes me braver.
“And the more I believe in myself, the more I know… there’s always something good waiting for me, just beyond where I used to stop.”
Step 2: Learn to Trust Yourself
The next step? Trust myself. Ah yes, trusting myself — that sounded about as realistic as me auditioning for Cirque du Soleil. Why should I trust my decisions when I had 20 years’ worth of “what-was-I-thinking” moments?
But the Mental Health Warrior Program’s SELF-HELP approach taught me something radical: trusting myself didn’t mean making perfect choices — it meant allowing myself to make choices, period!
Whether those choices were “right” or “wrong” was beside the point. The act of choosing was the victory, because each choice was a step toward reclaiming my mental autonomy.
So, I decided to put this newfound trust to the ultimate test: picking a sandwich at lunch. Turkey or ham? My inner critic panicked. “Ham is a disaster! Turkey’s the obvious choice!” But then I paused and asked myself, “Is there really a bad choice here?”
With shaky confidence, I bit into the ham — and guess what? No existential crisis. No catastrophic fallout. Just a sandwich. Turns out, the world didn’t end because I made a decision. Score one for Bruce!
Pooh’s Takeaway:
“Well,” said Pooh, scratching his chin thoughtfully, “trusting myself has always been a bit tricky. Take honey, for example. When I have two jars in front of me, I’ll sit there for ages thinking, ‘What if this one isn’t sweet enough? What if that one is too runny?’ It feels terribly important to get it just right.
“Now, I see that trusting myself doesn’t mean I have to pick the perfect honey. It just means I let myself choose. In fact, making a choice is much better than sitting there worrying and missing out on all the honey.
“So, from now on, I’ll tell myself, ‘Pooh, you’ve got this. Pick a jar, enjoy the honey, and if it’s not perfect — well, there’s always another jar to try tomorrow!’”
Step 3: Don't Overthink. Just Begin.
Now that I had cracked the code on getting out of my own way and trusting myself, the real fun began: dealing with the pesky roadblocks my mind would throw up whenever things got tricky.
For example, I’d sit down to start a new project or do something important, and without fail, that familiar whisper would begin: “What if this doesn’t work? Maybe you should wait for a better time.”
Ah yes, the old “wait until later” tactic — a classic in the handbook of procrastination!
One day, as I sat with a pen in my hand, poised to write something for the program, that voice popped up again, warning me to double-check everything for the 10th time. But instead of following it, I looked it square in the metaphorical eye and said, “Not today.”
So I wrote. I stumbled over words. Some sentences looked like they’d been chewed up by a blender — but I kept going. Because the Mental Health Warrior approach isn’t about being flawless. It’s about moving forward — not overthinking, just beginning!
Pooh’s Takeaway:
“Well,” said Pooh, tilting his head thoughtfully, “roadblocks are something I know a bit about. Like when I go to help Rabbit in the garden, I sometimes stand there thinking, ‘What if I dig in the wrong spot? What if I step on a carrot?’
“And then I just stand there holding a spade, worrying about every little thing. By the time I finally start digging, Rabbit’s already finished half the work!
“Next time, I’ll remind myself, ‘Pooh, you’re here to help, not to overthink.’
“And that’s what being a Mental Health Warrior is about, isn’t it? Not waiting for the perfect moment or planting roadblocks where they don’t belong, but taking a step forward — even if it’s a little tricky.”
Wrap Up
As I stood to leave the park, I reached into my bag and handed Pooh a copy of my book, I Triumphed over Bipolar, Alcoholism, and Anxiety Disorder by Becoming a Mental Health Warrior.
“This is the blueprint, Pooh,” I said. “It’s what helped me take my first steps — and it can help you too.”
Because becoming a Mental Health Warrior isn’t about waiting for someone else to fix things. It starts with one bold step: Get Out of Your Own Way.
Pooh captured the heart of my journey in the way only Pooh can: no one else can move us forward. We have to do it ourselves. And it begins with trusting that we can — even when life feels uncertain or wobbly.
So whether you’re choosing a turkey sandwich or making a life-altering decision, remember this: you’re the one holding the reins. Get out of your own way. Trust yourself. And keep moving forward — one step at a time!
Bruce Schutter
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