Obstacles in Life
Nothing happens to anybody which he is not
fitted by nature to bear.
- Marcus Aurelius
Do you feel like something is holding you back? Is there something blocking your path in life?
If so, it could be an obstacle and they come in all shapes and sizes. One of the good things about them -- identifying the kind of obstacle you face helps you learn how to deal with it. Another is learning how they keep you from making mistakes or underestimating a task.
It may sound strange, but your attitude is key ...
Nothing is an obstacle when you view
everything on your path as a tool.
What Kind of Obstacle Is It?
Below is a quick list of 12 different types of obstacles you may face in life, along with how you need to respond to overcome them.
- Bars
... help you stretch and become more flexible, just like the way a dancer uses a barre.
- Blocks
... make it necessary to reposition yourself for a new start, in the same way that runners use blocks before they start a race.
- Challenges
... help you grow your knowledge, skills, experience and resources.
- Checks
... make you to rethink your options and actions, in the same way a check in the game of Chess does.
- Dampers
... help you slow down and cool off, just like a fireplace damper.
- Hurdles
... require you to gain momentum so you can leap over them.
- Impassable Obstacles
... force you to find another way around them.
- Impediments
... help you slow down and exercise caution in choosing your next steps.
- Knots
... make you stop, look carefully at the way things are connected, and then work patiently to loosen or cut through the binds within yourself or your environment.
- Turnstiles
... make you bid your time till things change.
- Vices
... put the pressure on and test whether we are strong enough to handle the consequences.
- Walls
... make you look around for a ladder or an overhanging tree you can climb. Or they can inspire you to build an earthen ramp so everyone can climb over them.
Knowing the nature of what is holding you back and the means by which it does that -- is critical to choosing the right strategy to deal with it. But what also helps is understanding how to overcome the obstacles in your life and how they help you.
