How to Turn an Obstacle into an Opportunity

I'm sure that you have noticed that when you dare to dream and when you dare to step out and make real changes in your life the obstacles are not far behind. I have found this law to be true many times in my life when I attempt to do something to improve myself, my life, my family, my business, etc.

My vision for better things is big and it is vivid, it is fully bursting with life. I am excited, energetic and full of motivation. I have plans, lists and everything else ready to make something happen. I know what I want and I know the plans that I have and how I plan to make it happen.

I used to feel blind-sided when these obstacles would come my way. I felt like a failure, I felt defeated, and I usually did not want to keep going. I thought it was over, that it was just the end of that story.

I am no longer surprised when the obstacles come, I don’t stress out about them in the same ways that I used to. I may still get knocked down by the obstacles but as the song says – I get back up!

That is the important difference, getting back up. My dreams are not dead, not doomed for failure, and more importantly I am not a failure because obstacles have come my way.

Obstacles are a part of life, everyone experiences obstacles.

Everyone.

One thing that I have learned is that people who are successful simply keep going and press through the obstacles. We’ve all heard the stories of how successful people faced many failures prior to becoming successful.

The first light bulb took many failed attempts, the first vaccine took many attempts, Abraham Lincoln faced so many obstacles that most people would have given up in his shoes, the Beatles were told that guitar music was on it’s way out and were denied record contract after record contract, Walt Disney was told that he lacked creativity, the list goes on and on.

When we see successful people we only see their success, we assume that it came easy. We don’t usually stop to think that it took 20 years for Subway Sandwiches to become a household name. We don’t see all of the tears, sweat and pain that came before the success.

We also don’t see the people all around who fail and give up before becoming successful. There’s nothing special about that, it happens every day, everywhere.

Have you looked at your obstacles…or as opportunities?

Obstacles are really opportunities for growth and strength.

If we don’t have the strength to face the obstacles and overcome them then we will not have the strength to face the success that we would have had if we turn those obstacles into opportunities.

The obstacles that we face are a test to see if we can handle the success that is waiting for us. If we can't handle the obstacles we won't be able to handle the success.

The choice is ours, are we beaten by the obstacles or do we make the obstacles work for us?

The ball is in our court and we can choose to fight or give up in defeat.

Personally I choose to get up and fight, I want to be successful and I want to see my dreams come to fruition. Last year I participated in a Mind Alchemy course which was awesome, it made a huge difference in my life. Then in the middle of it I ran into some real obstacles to my growth in the course.

I’m not a quitter, I don’t quit what I start and I’m not a hypocrite either so I got up and dusted myself off. I realized that the other person was the AGENT of my obstacle and that it did not reflect on me. I focused on what I knew to be true, I focused on the course and on growing and becoming a stronger individual. I’m glad that I did and glad that I did not quit the course.

I’m not going down, I’m going to fight and I encourage you to be a fighter too!