Sun Tzu wrote, In hemmed-in situations you must resort to stratagem.

Life will corner you. That’s a guarantee. There will be times when every exit feels blocked, when pressure presses in from every side, and when no straightforward path seems available. Most people panic when they’re hemmed in. They freeze. They complain. They fold. But Sun Tzu gives us a sharper instruction: when you’re cornered, do not despair—get strategic.

A hemmed-in situation is not the end; it is the ultimate test of creativity and resolve. Think about it: when all the obvious doors are closed, that’s the moment you’re forced to create a door of your own. That’s where strategy becomes survival, and survival becomes victory.

Too often, people mistake obstacles as final verdicts. They think: “I can’t get out of this debt. I can’t break this habit. I can’t move past this loss.” They feel trapped, so they stay trapped. But Sun Tzu reminds us that when the terrain offers no easy way forward, you don’t wait for someone to save you—you invent the path. You outthink, outmaneuver, and outlast.

What does stratagem look like in everyday life? It’s resourcefulness. It’s using what you have, even when it doesn’t seem like much. It’s finding a way to keep advancing when everyone else assumes retreat is inevitable. Maybe you can’t solve your biggest problem today—but you can break it into smaller moves, each one buying you space, each one giving you leverage. Maybe you can’t overpower your challenges head-on—but you can sidestep, adapt, and strike where the opening appears.

And here’s the truth: being hemmed in can actually be a gift. Because when you’re surrounded, when your back is to the wall, hesitation disappears. You no longer have the luxury of procrastination. You must act. You must choose. You must summon strengths you didn’t even know you had. That urgency forces clarity. That pressure sharpens your edge.

So if you feel trapped right now—hemmed in by circumstances, by fear, by doubt—don’t waste your energy lamenting the walls. Start searching for angles. Start building strategies. You are not powerless. You have intellect, will, and adaptability. These are your weapons. Use them. Outthink the problem. Outsmart the obstacle.

Sun Tzu did not say, “In hemmed-in situations, you are finished.” He said, “Resort to stratagem.” That means you always have a move, even if it’s not obvious. That means you always have a way forward, even if it’s not the one you planned. That means there is always an opening, if you’re willing to look hard enough, think sharp enough, and act bold enough.

So don’t freeze. Don’t fold. Don’t let the walls define you. You’re not trapped—you’re being invited to think differently, to fight smarter, to rise higher.

In hemmed-in situations, strategy is not optional. It is survival. It is strength. And if you keep your mind sharp and your will unbroken, you will always find a way through.

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