When was the last time you fought over a situation? When was the last time it was difficult for you to write, speak, or even breathe? The obstacles we have in our life show us who we really are. Anything that blocks our path actually presents a new path with a new part of us revealed.

Obstacles make us stronger and tougher. Even if it is difficult, but we can see it in a different light and decide to do something about it. It gives us the opportunity to practice courage to improve our situation, our world and ourselves. It helps us see our priorities from a different perspective. It also makes us do something with a purpose. When we know what we really set out to do, the obstacles that come up tend to seem smaller and more manageable.

We cannot distinguish between the obstacles worthy of our time and those that are not if we do not accept them as part of the fabric of life. Each challenge seems like a huge mountain that we must climb. But once we are determined and persevere, most of our obstacles are unexpectedly reduced.

Obstacles make us more creative. Only by struggling with the impediments that caused others to quit, can we find ourselves in untrampled territory. Once we persist and resist, we can learn what others were too eager to be taught.

It also helps us find meaning in our lives. There is the event itself and the story we tell ourselves about what it means. It gives us the opportunity to change our lives. We need to reevaluate our existence. And in doing so, we are presented with the opportunity to make a change in our lives, if we dare to do so.

If what we have to do is the playing field, then what does not correspond to us are the rules and conditions of the game. The biggest and most serious obstacles in life are natural disasters, economic depressions, and premature death. It reminds us of something that is easy to forget: how little control we have over most things in life. Yet at the same time, we remember the one thing we have control over: our reaction.

These obstacles remind us of the importance of separating what happens to us from how we react. When we internalize this, we can achieve a higher level of inner peace that allows us to love our obstacles even more.

Once we accept this, all other obstacles are reduced to less than impossible. And finally, we can focus our efforts on the obstacles that we can overcome.