Obstacles are defined to be things that “block one’s way or prevents or hinders progress.” So many of us have faced such people or events in our lives that we consider them to be obstacles on our path of life. They may have resulted in losing faith or giving up on ourselves entirely. It’s important to remember that no matter how difficult the problem we are facing may be, there are much better things ahead. Whether they are big or small, the obstacles life has placed in front of us aren’t meant to serve as roadblocks or “turn back now” signs. We may end up having to find alternative routes, but ultimately, obstacles are meant to be overcome, not succumbed to.

Many of us look at obstacles as setbacks when really, we should be looking at them as things that have the ability to introduce and carry us into different aspects of our life that we may not have been able to pursue otherwise. Too many of times, we tend to look at the glass half empty as opposed to half full when it comes to the obstacles in our lives. I think having that mindset is the problem a lot of us deal with today. When people don’t get things they want or those things are suddenly taken away from them, they turn to pitying themselves or attributing the hardship to someone else. Blaming others for our setbacks and relying on our anger and frustration, only leads to more negativity and more setbacks. For us to win our obstacles, we must try to find the good in everything we are faced with. We need to dig deep. Search for the positivity in those times of difficulty. Obstacles are made to challenge us, but most importantly, they are meant to strengthen us. They may seem unfair or impossible to overcome at the moment, but there is the light at the end of the tunnel. Whenever I encounter a difficult situation or “roadblock”, I think back to my favorite Dr. Suess book, Oh The Places You’ll Go. In it, he says, “When you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.” He’s right, pushing through tough times isn’t meant to be easy but if you don’t try to get through them, you’ll find yourself in a “slump” for awhile. Setbacks are possible to get through, you just have to have a little faith.

Looking back, I wouldn’t trade the obstacles I’ve faced in my life for anything. I am thankful for those experiences because they have ultimately made me into who I am today. The definition of an obstacle describes it as something that “hinders progress”, but it is not described as something that is meant to stop your progress altogether. Instead of hating them, we should learn to love and cherish the obstacles we are given in our lives.