Why obstacles are your friend – Part 1

OK, I currently have three reasons why obstacles are your friend and so that is my theme for the next few days.

I have been talking about choosing what you love, and how to push on when you are feeling frustrated.  One of the reasons you might be feeling frustrated is that what seems like obstacles keep getting in your way.  For reason number 1 as to why this is a good thing, we have Topher Morrison to thank.  I have used this reason lots over the past few years to motivate myself to carry on with things.

Imagine you are at the start of a challenge or new direction in your life.  You can see your goal in the distance but there are a whole set of obstacles between you and your goal.  So, what is stopping you getting to your goal?

The obstacles right?    

Wrong.

There is absolutely nothing stopping you getting to your goal.  Why not?   Well because you haven’t started yet!

So, you make a start and pretty soon you reach one of the obstacles.  Now you can say that the obstacle it is stopping, or at least hindering, your progress.

The critical element here though is that you had to start progressing towards your goal before you started to reach the obstacles.  Given that most things you do for yourself in life are going to have at least few obstacles to get there, then the sooner you can get to them, the faster you are progressing towards your end goal.

Now provided you don’t turn away at that point you hit one, you can be happy that when you hit an obstacle, it is purely a sign that you are making progress.  When you can see them like that, they suddenly take on a whole new light and an indicator that you are heading towards your goal.  No obstacles probably means no progress.

So that is reason number 1 to rejoice when you hit an obstacle.  Reason number 2 tomorrow.