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Today’s Daily Stoic Meditation outlines how the obstacle is the way.
The obstacle is not in the way — the obstacle is a brilliant chance for you to demonstrate your skills, get around the obstacle and become victorious.
“While it’s true that someone can impede our actions, they can’t impede our intentions and our attitudes, which have the power of being conditional and adaptable. For the mind adapts and converts any obstacle to its action into a means of achieving it. That which is an impediment to action is turned to advance action. The obstacle on the path becomes the way.”
— MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.20
The Wrong Notion
Whenever you are faced with a fairly large obstacle, your reaction is often one of fear, tepidity, confusion and anticipation.
You are fearful, for you do not know what it is and how it may impact you.
You are anticipating what may come next and how it will impact your life.
The natural reaction to an obstacle is negative — we see them as things that get in our way and hold us back.
However, not all obstacles are so negative.
Many obstacles can actually be used to help you!
