“If you think it’s simply enough to take advantage of the opportunities that arise in your life, you will fall short of greatness. What you must do is learn how to press forward precisely when everyone around you sees disaster.”

Author Ryan Holiday challenges readers with the question, “What factor is holding you back right now and how can you use it to move forward?” The premise of this book is that anything seemingly in the way is actually a universe-invoked catalyst designed for you to think differently and act creatively in your approach to achieving the impossible.

Well, maybe that’s a little bit grandiose, but in my opinion, it kind of hits the mark. There are countless examples throughout history when great leaders and change-makers have used obstacles to leap high. This book illustrates these journeys along with applicable lessons you can employ today.

“Where the head goes the body follows. Perception precedes action. Right action follows the right perspective.”

Of course, there is a heavy dose of the importance of perception here, and I couldn’t agree more. How you look at roadblocks and personal problems and turn these into advantages is not an easy path, but people do this all the time. You read about them, you learn from them and you celebrate these success stories, so why not write your own?

If you desire to embark on your own personal success journey, Obstacle is the Way is your guide. Too few books, if any, explore the idea that there is something inherently promising in setbacks and obstacles. We don’t normally think like this, but the true diviners of success realize that these challenges are the hidden path to a brighter future. Avoiding them or shutting down in the moment is the typical failing response. While we’ve all been there, and will be there again, Holiday challenges us to flip our perspective in that moment and see what is beneath the surface of this obstacle that will help us open the door to high-level personal and professional growth.

This book was so thought-provoking and made me want to push through my internal and external challenges that I was eager to share it with others. I look forward to your thoughts as I continue to routinely reflect on Holiday’s insight and embark on my own personal challenge of making my obstacles my way.

Image courtesy of Profile Books