Every obstacle you face in life is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to become a stronger and better person. Conversely it can be an opportunity to give up. You decide.
It does not matter what goals you set or what you set out to do, sooner or later something will try to hinder your progress.
If you are not fully focused on your goal, these obstacles may well be able to hinder you more than they should. You might even decide that your chosen path is too difficult and want to give up.
One of the best ways to deal with obstacles is really all about focus.
You can see obstacles, as a reason to quit, or you can see them as an opportunity to conquer. To be able to see every obstacle as an opportunity, you need to be focused on the goal you are pursuing.
Here are three things you can do to make sure your mind is fully focused on seeing obstacles as opportunities.
1. Check every negative reaction you find yourself making.
It is a good practice to judge your own thoughts, words and actions. This is the best way to be able to train your mind to look for the opportunities instead of focusing on the obstacles.
Did you find any fear, complaining or anger in your words, thoughts or deeds today? Did you find yourself getting irritated with negative situations that came up? Don’t ignore these reactions. Small reactions can turn into big decisions!
Here is what you need to do with any negative emotions and reactions you discovered in your thoughts and actions today.
- Face them.
- Deal with them.
- Refocus. The best way to train you brain to overcome obstacles is to make a conscious effort to direct your thoughts to the positive side of things.
- Did you find fear? Think faith
- Did you find anger? Think forgiveness, understanding and look for creative solutions.
- Did you find yourself complaining? Think of ways you could contribute to positive changes in the situations you find distasteful. Were the complaints against a person or group? Forgive and pray for them.
2. Step back from the situation and see it from a different perspective.
When difficult things happened in Mexico, one of the young people I worked with often used to say: “It is all a matter of perspective”.
When something difficult first arises in your life it will usually look a whole lot bigger than it really is. This is because of the initial mental and emotional impact caused by the obstacle that crossed your path. This impact will cause your mind to be so full of the situation that you may have trouble seeing past it.
It is also because you are probably right on top of the situation. Remember the closer you are to an object, the bigger it looks. That is because it is taking up more of your focus. In the same way, the closer you are to a situation, the bigger and more impossible it looks. Again, this is because your focus is full of the obstacle or situations you are facing.
Once you step back from the impact of the obstacle that suddenly hit your life, your perspective will change. Now you will be able to see the challenge that this situation brings.
3. Embrace this challenge and see the opportunities.
The challenge itself is also an opportunity.
- It is an opportunity to grow in one or more areas of your life. This will bring more maturity to your life.
- It is an opportunity to tackle something difficult and conquer. This will bring more confidence and strength to your life.
- It is an opportunity to rise to a new level of creativity. This will help you discover more of those secret talents and expertise you did not know you had!
Now it’s your turn: There are plenty more opportunities that come hidden away in obstacles. I know you are thinking of at least one. I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
