The following are three steps that we can take to avoid needless pain in our lives.

1. Stop what you are doing.

The first thing we need to do when we realize there is a pebble is to stop. We are all busy. Stopping can feel like such a huge task at times. If we stop, people may realize something is wrong. We get in a rhythm of life and don’t want to slow down. Before big failures or meltdowns we start to exhibit actions that are uncharacteristic of what we would normally do. You need to know yourself well enough. Learn to STOP and ask yourself these three questions:

Am I worn out and not getting enough sleep?
Am I eating properly?
Am I getting proper exercise?
These three areas contribute to most of our irrational actions. If you are worn out or out of balance in any of the areas, STOP before you do something stupid. So, stop and look for triggers in your own life.

The other area where we may become irrational or "not ourselves" is when we become involved in something that is illegal, immoral, or unethical. As a Christ follower, I refer to these items as "sinful actions." If this is something that you have allowed into your life, without being too blunt, I will say, "JUST STOP IT!" Free yourself from these pebbles that are destroying your life.