Insights for the Savvy

Obstacles – Friend or Foe?

“In the midst of winter, I found within myself an invincible
summer.”
- Albert Camus

Obstacles. Ugh. Most of the time, we feel that an obstacle is something to get rid of. Something to eradicate, get through, find a way around or simply wish out of existence.

I’m going to throw out what might be a radical notion. I’ve never met an obstacle that, over time, hasn’t become my friend. That’s right – my friend.

Obstacles are what stretch and grow us beyond what we thought we were capable of achieving. They’re the equivalent of a call from “on high” to move out of the confines of what’s known and comfortable.

Yes, obstacles are often downright uncomfortable, can be anxiety producing and almost always generate fear, irritation or annoyance in those who are confronted by them. However, they point us in the direction we need to look. Try posing the question: “Is what I’ve identified as the obstacle really the obstacle?” For example, I had a hard time sitting down to write this article. I circled it for days telling myself I wasn’t inspired, I needed to pack for my move, and the stars weren’t properly aligned. How could I possibly write at a time like this? Of course, none of these reasons were the real ones. What was my obstacle? Here’s what I came up with:

Fear – that ubiquitous stopper of forward movement and creative inspiration. What would I discover about myself when writing this article? By writing this article, what was I committing to in my own life?

By asking myself these questions, I realized that inside of every obstacle you or I face, we’ll find a gift if we look closely
enough.

- The gift of questioning. What’s my life trying to say to me? What is this obstacle here to teach me? Is what I’ve identified as the obstacle really the obstacle?

- The gift of faith. Some obstacles require us to pull our faith out and dust it off. In a culture ridden with a need for evidence and facts in advance, this is a task that sounds easier than it is for most of us.

- The gift of perspective. As Shelley Winters said, “I’m not overweight, I’m just nine inches too short.” While we may not have a choice when it comes to the circumstances in which we find ourselves, we can always choose our perspective.

- The gift of fear. (Yes, I really meant to write that.) Acknowledge the fear, and don’t let it stop you. I’ve noticed that it’s often the thing that we’re most fearful of that we need to attend to directly. Fear can also be a barometer for our thoughts and beliefs. Lurking behind most fear is a host of scary and constricting thoughts and beliefs engineered by our inner critic.

I recently overheard my two year old son say, “I can’t” for the first time. I was dumbstruck and thought, “These self- imposed obstacles start this early?!” While this made me sad, I also recognized that just as sand in an oyster creates and refines a pearl, obstacles in our lives may act as the irritants that refine us. That’s a lesson we can stand to learn at any age.

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Now It's Your Turn

What do you perceive to be the three biggest obstacles in your life? Take to few minutes to reflect on each one, and ask
yourself these questions:
- What’s this obstacle here to teach me?
- What’s the gift in it?

Different Voices

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half asleep even when they are busy doing things they think are
important. This is the product of chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to
loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and
meaning.”
- Morrie Schwartz from Tuesdays With Morrie

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Insights for the Savvy is written and produced by Claudette Rowley.  If you have questions or comments, please send them to info@metavoice.org.  To find out more about Claudette and her coaching services, visit http://www.metavoice.org or call 781.676.5633.
Copyright 2002-2004, Claudette Rowley. All Rights Reserved.

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