The Obstacles We Face In Life Can Be Opportunities or Setbacks

Ryan Holiday is an author who created a popular book titled “Obstacle Is The Way, The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph.” He is also known for his other book “Stillness Is the Key” according to New York Times. The book addressing how to handle obstacles was published on May 1, 2014, with a hit of over one million copies sold.

Enough famous talk though. Ryan Holiday informs his readers with a whole 360. He suggests a way to flip the script and turn things around. He states that the obstacles we face in life don’t have to be seen as failures but as opportunities for improvement. Through 3 things. Perception, action, and will. He also unravels obstacles through the testimonies of other people's lives, who struggle just as much as we do when we face a hard time, insisting that things don’t always have to be looked at in a bad way.

You can read further into the book if you choose to purchase it but for now, let us proceed straight into the three objectives.

1. Perception

Imagine yourself driving to the beach on a smoking, hot summer day, only to see that the roads to that destination are closed. You become frustrated but still decide to keep trying by searching for other beaches, only to find out they are closed too.

If you perceive this situation as an obstacle, you’ll most likely head back home and give it a rest. If this situation is perceived as an opportunity, you’ll most likely find something else to do or go to another refreshing attraction, something like a water park or a lake. Although the beach may be fun, you still find a way to enjoy yourself. Despite the odds.

How you perceive an obstacle will ultimately determine how you handle the situation at hand. You will see things at their best or at it’s worst. Maintaining the proper perception is one of the biggest struggles we face today. We face one complicated situation and instantly feel that we’re at a disadvantage. Instead of looking for potential advantages in our difficulties. All it takes is one crazy obstacle, and our minds are thrown off course. Silver linings are found the most in times like that and yet, it is missed every time.

Let me start by saying I use to think 2020 was the worst year ever (I’m probably not the only one) but by the end of 2020 I realized a lot. And sometimes you’ll indeed perceive the worst before you realize the good. I was observing things only from a negative perspective, instead of being open to see things positively too. The news reports, the chaos, deaths, quarantine, social distancing. I seen these difficulties as setbacks. All the madness brought me to a real reality check though.

2020 was a reminder to pause from my life that had been so occupied with 50 different things, and appreciate what I had, presented in front of me. If I didn’t take notice, it could’ve slipped right from my hands. I might not have been outdoors as much or socializing with people, (how the world “normally” use to operate) but I actually gained a lot more than I did, compared to all the other years.

I had to self-reflect and spend some time alone to be still and hear less of the news reports and chaos and more of myself and my loved ones who mattered the most to me. I grew closer to so many people during that time, and it was well worth it because I wouldn’t be standing here without them. Who knows, we probably would have been too busy to chat or hang out. 2020 was seen as a major obstacle to many of us, but I also saw it as an opportunity to embrace something that wasn’t normal. To see the way in what seemed like a setback.

Ryan Holiday suggests this, study the obstacle and break things down logically. Take some time to examine what you’re dealing with. Don’t fly to conclusions without evaluating the underlying meaning behind your conflicted situation. Every obstacle won’t always have the solution you’re looking for, but mentally, perception is your key to unlocking a series of new things. When you gain an insightful understanding, it can change your view on a few things.

For example, imagine yourself having to take a complex test. You don’t understand any of the information but when you study it, you gain a better understanding. This same rule applies to life. Whether we’re studying for homework, a driver’s test, a speech, work policies, etc. We have to analyze these things if we want to learn.

Shifting your perception when life doesn’t go as expected isn’t rocket science, but it’s not super easy either. It requires discipline. There will be times when you face tough situations. You will be juggling between hope and hopelessness. You have to pick the one you will leverage with. Once you understand the problem, the next step is action.

2. Action

Thoughts can be meaningless without action. It’s about how you take action with those thoughts you have. There are several self-improvement books out there that offers ways to build habits, be more productive, live a minimalist life, eat healthier, and plenty of how-tos. Although these books give advice and offer assistance, the drive to do something is rooted in you. A book can only push you so far. Taking the effort to try is what matters.

Just like perception, discipline has to be put in place. I, myself, have talked about many things I want to do, and still, those many things lack action. By this, I mean it’s easier to talk the talk and a lot harder to walk the walk. It’s not the fact that I’m unmotivated. My hopes are high to accomplish great things (and I have accomplished a few) but like all of us, the motorboat lacks a little fuel.

You don’t need to be hard on yourself but being persistent can be effective. How you take action with an obstacle is important. Finding structured ways that work for you to manage the issues you’re dealing with, can be alleviating.

“You can be the person who runs away from it or the person who runs towards it. Or worse you are paralyzed and do nothing?” - Ryan Holiday

Action is something that should be broken down step-by-step. Actions can also help us in our journeys to improve and become better. Taking the chance to do something is better now than never. Problems don’t just unravel themselves and no one can do it for you.

It’s easy to feel like we’ve lost the battle but the only time we lose is when we give up and don’t try at all. There are people who have been through the toughest points of their life, some people are probably born at a disadvantage, they didn’t ask to have this or that. It’s out of their control, and yet, they still take advantage of it. Living life to the fullest, as if obstacles have no space in their life.

This is possible for you too. You’ll probably complain, sigh, and want to snap. By all means, do it because it’s a normal thing. We aren’t happy to go lucky 24/7. It’s okay to rage sometimes. Obstacles aren’t fun, and no one wants to be blocked from something great, but what’s great can still be done if you’re willing.

3. Will

Will is similar to action but it’s continuing to do what we need to do despite the things we can’t control. In life, we lose many things we can’t control, a home, a loved one, or someone hurts you, you grew up poor, or were raised with a single parent. The list goes on. You couldn’t control these things and probably felt at a disadvantage.

When we can’t control things like this, we must build on inner strength. Ryan defines it’s in a way as perseverance. Meaning your failures, roadblocks, and setbacks may be something you have to hang onto for years. Obstacles don’t always go away in an instant. Sometimes it can last up to a few months and a few years.

It’s about holding on and not giving up. No one’s saying you won’t stumble or slip up but continuously going when it’s hard, is a discipline driven by action and willingness to do so. You can use your obstacles as fuel to become who you want to be. You can be better than what’s happening to you. You don’t have to be conformed to it.

In everything that happens to you, there is an opportunity to enhance yourself and your abilities. This is a tool that can build you up. You can be better than what you’ve been through.

“The blazing fire makes flames and brightness out of everything thrown into it.” -Marcus Aurelius

Your problems should be what drives you. The ugliest things can be turned into the most beautiful things, but that comes with persistence and perseverance. It’s all a test to see if you’ll fold or succeed. The roadblock you’re dealing with is a chance to see a way through, shift your thinking, and get you moving.