I just read the book, “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday. 

Ryan writes:

“There is no good or bad without us, there is only perception. There is the event itself and the story we tell ourselves about what it means.”

Ryan explains that CHALLENGES in our life aren’t the problem.

The problem is HOW WE REACT TO THEM.

We often react with:

• …..Fear
• …..Frustration
• …..Helplessness
• …..Depression
• …..Worry
• …..Anger

We think:

"Why is this
happening to me?"

"Life is
unfair!"

"This was not
supposed to be this way!"

We think things should go—

…..According to our plan. 

…..According to our expectations.

…..The way we think it should!  

We’re all guilty of this…..

LIFE DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY!

There are ups and downs.

There are good times and bad times.

We have pleasure and we have pain.

It’s anything but smooth.

But somehow we STILL expect it to be a smoother ride 

Who ever said relationships would be smooth?

Who ever said raising kids would be smooth?

Who ever said anything in our life would be a smooth ride?

Struggling in life is a given.  

You can’t avoid that. 

“You can learn to surf the waves, but you can’t stop them.”

But, you’ll struggle even more if you keep thinking that it shouldn’t be this way. 

The more you resist what is, the more you suffer.

“Pain in life is inevitable, but suffering is a choice.”

Whatever area of your life you may want to improve:

• …..A relationship
• …..Lose weight
• …..Get a better job
• …..Make more money
• …..Travel more
• …..Have more FUN

You will encounter obstacles and frustrations.

Just like if you were climbing a mountain with the goal of getting to the top, you would have obstacles like rocks and maybe fallen trees you’d need to overcome.

Here’s what you need to do:

DEVELOP A NEW MINDSET

Think of the obstacles as an opportunity to practice and strengthen your skills along the way.

What can you learn from what you are going through?

How can you use it to help you move forward to where you want to be?

You never know what kind of rocks you will need to overcome just before the tip of the mountain, so be grateful for every rock on the way as it is a chance for you to learn the lessons you need to learn to prepare yourself for the top.

No journey will ever be a smooth ride.

The obstacles and frustrations help us evolve and grow!

So, use the obstacles you are facing in reaching your goals as an opportunity to learn and grow!

It’s not about the goal. It’s about growing to become the person that can accomplish that goal.” –  Tony Robbins