For most of my life, I had goals and would get irritated by obstacles that got in my way. I heard a wonderful quote the other day, but don’t recall the original source. The quote went something like this:
Having obstacles in your life is a sign you aren’t settling for what life gives you, but are getting out of life what you want.
In other words, a life without any obstacles is arguably a life lived passively. You take whatever comes your way. While there is certainly enormous value in expressing gratitude for what you do get out of life (this is one of the keys to happiness by the way), it is still worth striving for what YOU want out of YOUR life.
So my question for you to think about today is:
Do you have enough obstacles in your life?
If not, are you striving for what you want out of life? If yes, be grateful as it’s a sign you are striving for what you want out of life. You might not get what you want, but if you don’t try at all you are guaranteed to not get what you want.
Here’s another way to look at it.
Using the logical construct of cause vs. effect, there are two ways to view the world:
- The world is the cause, and you are its effect.
- You are the cause, and the world is the effect.
Here’s my second and final question for today:
Which paradigm are you viewing your life and the world through?
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31 thoughts on “The Value of Obstacles”
Hey Everyone,
I am trying to get to the point from a global perspective.
From the point of the universe, I think that there is no cause and no effect. The happenings all around us act like a chain together that has no ending and no beginning. We are not capable of understanding this phenomenon as our capacity is limited.
Best wishes,
E
I read somewhere “obstacles are what prepare you for success”. My interpretation – just make sure you are climbing the right mountain and embrace obstacles as what trains you to get to the top. And I guess obstacles might also indicate you are climbing the wrong mountain – the trick is to recognise the difference.
Krzysztof
Yes!
Sometimes the obstacles is just that an obstacle. Other times it is feedback. Actually, it’s always feedback. The trick is to figure which way to interpret it.
Victor
It’s a very good article and I would like to make an addition.
When thinking about obstacles, we often think about problems to overcome to achieve our personal goals. But it’s not always that simple. I was watching a 28-year old friend die of cancer recently. In his life, that was an obstacle and he even went that far as to look for happiness in his suffering and faith.
Sometimes, there are obstacles to face and ‘fight’, but some must be accepted and dealt with in a very different way.
I understood much more about dealing with unbearable obstacles after I read books by Victor Frankl. Highly recommend.
Kat,
Thanks for the contribution. Good point.
Victor
Thanks for indutorcing a little rationality into this debate.
The biggest obstacle in my life is ….myself.
My self-doubts, reflexive thoughts, my timidness, my fears. All of my life I have been fighting with myself, and to be honest, I am still not fully a master of myself.
Inner insecurities and wanders of ordinary mind are the most powerful obstacles. Whatever outside world is preparing for you to experience – does look like an obstacle if your inner insecurities are dominant.
My goal is to obtain that pure inner freedom from any insecurities. I believe this would release an immense amount of energy for my ballistic progress as professional and as individual.
Sometimes it is very useful to keep asking yourself – who am I? Just try to keep providing answers until you are lost.
OK, I am Volha. But this is just a name given to me, it’s not me. My previous school, jobs, bank details, my degrees and achievements – are just attributes, and still not me. My convictions, religion, hobbies – are also attributes, but still not me. My future plans, schedules, travelling, buying properties – do not really exist at the moment.
My body and genetics – are also attributes, still not really me. All those attributes keep changing, so, me 20 years ago it not the same me now. However, I am absolutely sure I do exist. So, who am I?
The more or less clear answer to that would be – you are what you are experiencing at the moment.
Once I surrender myself to the experience, any kind of experience – good or bad, painful or pleasant, hard, uncomfortable, impossible, any – then I can see no obstacles.
Failure would be also an experience. A victory – is an experience.
I try to set my goals not as final destinations. Because when you reach your destination, you feel emptied. What’s next? I try to set my goals as a direction for number of experiences, which I am prepared to surrender to.
Hello Volha, your opinion is very thoughtful and valid.
Volha,
I think for most people, myself include, their biggest obstacle is themselves. You are certainly not alone. It is a very interesting journey indeed.
Victor
hi all,
I believe that “I am the cause, and the world is the effect!” because i am responsible for the choices that I have made which have resulted in what I am today and how I look around. I have had and still have enough obstacles to take care and cross which indeed makes me feel my heart beat. Just a piece for advice to everyone… Just hang in there success is right next! 🙂
good luck
Akhilesh
This, right here, is the voice of truth.
Thanks Victor for sharing your insights on obstacles. This greatly helped me confirm the path I am walking is the path I have chosen and I will continue to walk. Surely there are times I doubt myself if I can make it till the end and just want to quit and settle for what’s given. But quotes like you shared are great help for me to continue striving for what I want – very much appreciated.
Obstacles is also a great way to validate your goals. Sometimes we strive for something and lets assume we get it – there are one of two things that can happen:
1. Its everything that we had imagined and we feel good about getting there.
2. Its not what we had imagined and we feel like we wasted a ton of time and resources for something that wasn’t worthwhile and something that we didn’t quite want in the first place.
Obstacles is a great way to self reflect and make sure that the second eventuality doesn’t happen to us.
Dennis,
Very insightful. Great point.
Victor
My worldview is a combination of both paradigms. From birth until starting college, my life was mostly dictated by parents and society, and in that sense the world (externality) was the cause and I was the effect. Since taking charge of my own life, through self-education and introspection, I now hold myself accountable for decisions, goals and outcomes, and so now I am the cause and what I produce and measure as a result of actions is the world.
Although is very admirable and even romantic to strive for success and fight for what you believe for in a globalized and overwhelming new world order – the reality is as follow:
“The haves vs. the have-nots”
Those who have the resources (connections, elite credentials,and of course money) can without a doubt, believe that they are the cause and the world is the effect. They can switch back and forward and make miracles or make a living hell this world.
Those who are “the have nots”, they can just try their best. If things work out, wont last forever, cause they can not beat the system after all. However, if they do (beat the system some how), they become part of the “haves”, and then they forget where they came from.
Without trying to make the system more fair from a comfortable position by fighting to erase the obstacles, where the world is the cause and the human being the effect, the underdogs only exit would be eventually a social revolution for good.