“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
-Christopher Reeve
Imagine– you’re on a basketball team, and before a game your coach announces the other team couldn’t make it, but you’re going to play anyway. The game begins, you have the ball, run down the court and make a basket – easy when there’s no one blocking your shot. This happens over and over again. How long before you are bored to death? No one wants to lose, but we do want a challenge.
Winning and scoring are great, but if we dig a little deeper we realize that the thrill is in developing our skills so that we can win despite the obstacles.
Obstacles are at the heart of every interesting and worthwhile game. Yes, obstacles – those objections and disruptions intent on blocking our progress. We try to be prepared, but sometimes they just pop up out of nowhere.
They’re expected when it comes to sports, but in the game of life the single most noted reason we don’t begin to play for what we truly want is fear of the obstacles we know, or even just suspect, we’ll encounter. Or – we give up when we run into an unexpected one. Can you imagine being a basketball player, getting blocked by an opponent, and then stopping on the spot and walking off the court because there wasn’t supposed to be any opposition? No! Obstacles are an integral part of the game. It’s the same with life.
Obstacles are often deflating frustrating events. They can cause us to question ourselves, our abilities and even the goal itself. But what if we saw that what happens when we’re challenged is exactly what is supposed to happen? What if we saw obstacles as a sign that we’re doing something right, not something wrong? With this understanding, wouldn’t we be encouraged to keep going: to develop the needed skill to master the obstacles?
Think back to a peak experience in your life. Weren’t you required to learn something new or otherwise stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone?
Here’s my QUICK TIP: Stop thinking of these events as obstacles and start thinking of them as invaluable opportunities to grow.
No obstacles = no growth. Remember that they are at the heart of every interesting and worthwhile game and keep just playing to win!
This article is an excerpt from Joan’s best-selling book, You’re Busy. I Get It. Quick Tips to Accomplish More with Less Stress. Available on Amazon and at www.joanwashburn.com.
