Obstacle. I’m learning to hate that word. Seems no matter where I turn, there’s an obstacle in my way. And I see there are obstacles in other people’s way as well, preventing progress…blocking breakthroughs…stopping strides.
An obstacle is defined as “a thing that blocks one’s way or prevents or hinders progress”. And so often, we allow it to remain. We often stop, we see the barrier as too great, the hinderance too much, the wall too high. We, as humans, are prone to taking the easy way out. When the challenge is too great, we tend to find another path of lesser resistance. This isn’t necessarily wrong, simplifying things has led to great discoveries and inventions. Yet, oftentimes, the impediment remains and prevents our breakthrough.
As a dad, I’m trying to guide my kid’s mindset about obstacles. I’m trying to train them to see hardships in a different way…a better way. Obstacles are a chance to learn about resilience, patience, forbearance, endurance. They provide us an opportunity to ‘embrace the suck’, to buck up, push forward. Instead of resigning themselves to the interference, they can agree to work with it.
Obstacles can be viewed as our brain’s best attempt at telling us what has to be transformed in order to achieve a bigger and better goal. And if we have a correct mindset, every obstacle can instantly transform something negative into something uniquely valuable.
The world’s not happening to you; you’re happening to the world. The world you were born into wasn’t conceived and built just for you. But you can be your unique self within the world! Those stuck in a reactive mindset won’t deliver any punches in this life. However, those who are overcomers…the world is their playground!
Be an overcomer!
