What does impediment mean to you?

Impediments advance actions...

Hello Friends, I hope you did not miss me too much. I was on energy saving mode, I don't know exactly what I was saving it for though. Thanks for anticipating this dosage, I hope you'd enjoy it.

Is life meant to be all rosy for everyone? I think the answer is NO. Everybody in this world would always have their share of the bitterness of life. At one point, we all will face an obstacle, it is a constant. I think that is the reason Ryan Holiday wrote the book he titled The Obstacle is the way.

Truly, obstacle is the way except if you want to turn back. And turning back, you'd meet obstacles too. I think the only way to avoid obstacle is being stagnant. Don't be surprised when Obstacle comes to meet you in your spot. Inevitably, obstacle is the way. Obstacle is unique to everybody but mostly, our responses to it are the same. Fear, confusion, depression, anger, helplessness and frustration.

Obstacles are part of life. When and where they pop-up and mess with our lives is unpredictable. This makes the training of body and mind an important discipline. The training doesn’t make us invincible, because death is certain, but ready to act, when it comes to difficult situations.

The book is actually written to help people achieve greatness and help them sharpen the lens they use to view Obstacles. It opened with a word I've adopted as a maxim after reading it.

“The Impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

It is a word of Marcus Aurelius quoted by the author.

In the face of obstacle, we should always stay cheerful and positive. In 1910 there was an heavyweight contest (Boxing) between Jack Johnson (1st Black heavyweight champion) and Jim Jefferies (A white superstar). Throughout the rounds, supporters of Jim, the majority, were yelling at Johnson but 'baba' is keeping a cheerful face. Johnson was Increasingly cheerful and playful for every round and that keeps Jim enraged and eventually tired him up until he lost in the 15th round.

When the author narrated the incident, he deduced that it is paramount to stay cheerful when facing an enemy, challenges or threat, it will give you upper hand 'las las'.

Verily, setbacks happen, we face challenges, we need to just face it and turn it into triumph. If it happened, then it was meant to happen. Be glad it did when it did and make the best out of it. Derive joy in every obstacles and you'd discover that those obstacles are actually meant to serve as opportunities to improve your life in some way.

Also, it is vital to imagine obstacles. Envisaging obstacles should help us ahead and make us fit to face them. The author said we should not wait for setbacks, we should simulate them and strengthen our approaches. It is when you are ready that you'd be able to turn the lemon life throws at you to lemonade.

Ultimately, overcoming obstacles is a discipline of three critical steps. It begins with how we look at our specific problems, our attitude or approach, then the energy and creativity with which we actively break them down and turn them into opportunities; finally, the cultivation and maintenance of an inner will that allows us to handle defeat and difficulty. In simple terms they are Perception, Action and the Will.

I hope you enjoy this. Please share with your friends and families, tell them to subscribe and feel free to comment your thoughts on obstacles and how you'd approach them henceforth.

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Book Recommendation

Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday.

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