Before I read The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday, I thought of obstacles as something to overcome. I imagined life as an obstacle course. When I’ve watched, American Ninja Warrior, I pictured all the challenges along the course as situations in life. They were something that got in the way and must be overcome.
Ryan Holiday’s book challenged me to look at obstacles in a different way. Stoicism is a philosophy I heard about when training for a marathon. When I got the chance to read it, the book made me ponder so many questions.
- What if, instead of looking at obstacles as the enemy, they were your friend?
- What if an obstacles is just what you need to achieve your goals?
- What if how you viewed an obstacle was more important than figuring out how to eliminate it?
Life is full of struggles and hardships. This book made me realize that it is not foolishness when people willingly take on a project that will have obstacles. Small businesses would never start if that was the case. Missions to help others would never launch. I am thankful for a new perspective on challenges and obstacles. Yes, they can be the way to success.
