Episode Details

Have you read the book, “The Obstacle is the Way” from Ryan Holiday…If not…read it!`

What if “embedded inside the problems” we are facing or “inherent in it” were certain benefits…benefits only for you?  What would you do if you knew that?  Let’s be honest…probably nothing causes most of us are the same… we are simply paralyzed or stuck when it comes to massive obstacles in our lives.  The reason for this is that stuff that blocks us is blocking us for a reason…Fear, Frustration, Depression, Anger…years and years of programming have us trapped inside our heads.  Usually, we know exactly what to do but simply CANNOT ACT…Right?

So why is it that some people can push through their problems and others can’t?  Why do most of us get stuck and can’t seem to get past the same challenges that plague us week after week or month after month in our lives?  There are men and women in life that have become famous because they have overcome their challenges and went on to become amazing leaders because they used the challenges or obstacles to propel themselves to amazing heights…the better versions of themselves.  People like Abraham Lincoln, John D Rockefeller, Margaret Thatcher, Amelia Earhart, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and on and on and on….

Why and How did all these people overcome massive obstacles to become Great and trust me they all had massive obstacles to overcome in their individual stories. 

Bottom line, all Great leaders and successful people find a way to turn Weakness into Strength.  Like oxygen to fire, their obstacles become fuel to their internal fires that burned.  All of these people learned to Flip their Obstacles upside down and turn them into Fuel.

It’s not about ONLY “changing the way you look at things” …it involves thoughts, actions and commitment to a purpose…a philosophy in your life.  This is what the idea of Stoicism entails.

The most important thing to remember from the start is that most problems that are keeping us stuck in life are INTERNAL not EXTERNAL problems in our lives.  Most things that happen to us are things that we wrestle with in our minds and because of our perception to the obstacles and problems that we face. 

In the book The Obstacle is the Way…Ryan Holiday talks about

Overcoming Obstacles is a Discipline of Three Critical Steps…Perception, Action, and the Will.  All 3 of these steps are important to really and truly turning your obstacles into benefits and fuel in your life.  You need to start by analyzing how you look at a problem…your Perception.  Then you need to work on the energy, creativity and approach you use to break the problems down and turn them into opportunities.  Finally, you need to cultivate and maintain an inner WILL that will help you to handle any defeat and difficulty.

With your perception you need to understand and recognize your power, deal with your never and emotions, and learn to focus on the present moment.  With your Responses and Actions, you will need to understand and focus on moving forward, being persistent, channeling your energy and sizing the moment to choose your direction.  And with your WILL (part 3 of the process) you will need to practice discipline, find peace of mind, and find motivation outside of yourself.

When you realize that you are not the only one dealing with problems you face and that the Hero’s in the stories of life are not “superhuman” or even always “unique, gifted or rare”, you will start to learn that becoming Great is simply a process.  A Path that each of us can choose to take if we will just apply some time-tested principles to our lives.

So…why do I love the book The Obstacle is the Way and this idea of Stoicism?