Each one of us in our lives come across obstacles as we navigate our way through our daily life. You may call these challenges/stumbling blocks.
Recently I have had to stop in my tracks and face my own challenges that have come up for me.
I am learning to fight through adversity and use it to I believe, become, work on, and evolve into being a better version of myself. There is no guarantee the obstacles/challenges I face will stop, and a part of me holds on to them. I accrue them in my memories and it threatens my ability to define who I am. I am a firm believer in human resilience, and even more so our ability to define who it is we want to be. Overcoming obstacles in one area gives you tools for dealing with them in other areas. However, no matter what life throws your way, keep in mind that where in the past your options were stunted because of what you were going through, you do now have choices.
There are always things you can do, actions you can take and decisions you can make that will help overcome obstacles. When unexpected obstacles suddenly arise, it's easy to get lost in our emotional reactions. However, for the most part, our emotional responses are often not very productive, and more times than not they don't actually help the situation.
Sometimes, the answers we need to overcome an obstacle come from sources outside of ourselves. In fact, there are many people out there who might have dealt with and successfully overcome the circumstances you face today.
When obstacles surprise us unexpectedly, our first reaction is typically no reaction at all. We just freeze and have absolutely no idea what to do. This paralysis may seem unhelpful at first. However it actually gives us a moment to ponder and think through our circumstances in optimal ways. How could I view this situation differently that would be more helpful and provide me with better choices.
Breathe - Take control - and Take Action
Sometimes obstacles have a tendency to constrict us mentally in a confined space strangling our thoughts and therefore limiting our perspective of the situation.
Breathe
Take small steps. By taking small steps, you ensure you always remain in control and avoid getting caught up in the jigsaw of your mind. Break the obstacle down and find ways to dissect piece by piece and then take that small step and action, what you need to. Sometimes it's not what you do, but rather what you let go of that has the greatest impact on your life.
When dealing with obstacles, simplicity could be the key. The more we try and complicate things, the more likely we are to become overwhelmed with our circumstances. Calmness provides you with clarity of mind. This allows you to ask better questions, to think more creatively, critically, and effectively about your problems/obstacles/challenges. When your mind and body are calm, you naturally tap into a reservoir of internal resources that you typically wouldn't have access to if you were to react emotionally to your circumstances.
Our emotions play a huge part in overcoming our obstacles. When an emotion is triggered we are in the grip of that emotion, which limits our ability to think clearly and choose how we respond. As time passes we gain some clarity and the ability to make a thoughtful considered choice about the obstacle that has been placed in our way. With awareness we can pause before we respond and choose a response that best serves us.
When you think about the obstacle, think about the whole of it the history of it. How long has the obstacle been in your path? what behaviours or negative thoughts keep the obstacle alive, or prevent you from working through it? Answering these questions may help you identify the changes you need to make. Some obstacles seem beyond your control, so daunting that you have no idea how to get through them. This experience is often paired with fear or another strong emotional reaction. Take a deep breathe, put pen to paper, and ask yourself what you can control.
Breathe - Take Control - Action
A zen quote: OBSTACLES DO NOT BLOCK THE PATH, THEY ARE THE PATH
Comments