How Obstacles Equal Strength

Obstacles are not the challenge, coping is the challenge...

Success is determined not by whether you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them.

If you look at obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure; if you look at them as hurdles to be overcome, each one strengthens you for the next.

Two identical acorns from the same oak tree are planted in distinct locations, one in the middle of a dense forest, the other on a steep hill by itself. The oak on the hillside is frequently exposed to storms and fierce gale winds and, as a result, its roots plummet deep into the earth and spread in every direction to protect the tree from the threatening elements. The acorn planted in the forest becomes a weak sapling, as it competes with other giant oaks for nutrients and space. It does not need to spread its roots beneath the earth surface, as it is protected by larger, stronger trees. Obstacles illuminate the path to success by exposing the challenges we must overcome, our goal posts towards achievement.

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way”. – Marcus Aurelius.