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Issue 50 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In this issue ~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Handling the Obstacles in Our Path No matter how right the path you're on, there are times when things will not go smoothly: That's just the way life is. Achieving your goals may take persistence and resolve, so that you don't get derailed every time something happens differently than you planned and hoped. By anticipating and understanding the obstacles you may encounter, you can prepare to handle them. There are many types of obstacles that may fall in our way. Some are personal situations that need to be dealt with, and the methodologies will vary with the circumstances. There are also obstacles that are common to all of us. These include:
As you can see, these obstacles are interwoven, and one can lead to another, until we find ourselves caught up in a downward spiral. But we don't have to let obstacles defeat us. How we face obstacles can leave us either empowered or hopeless. They can stop us or motivate us. They can discourage us from doing the things we would love to do, or like a dare, a block can bring up our competitive drive to push through and triumph. It's also helpful to differentiate between real and perceived blocks. If I start ice skating at the age of 40 with the intention of qualifying for the Olympics, that's a real block – even 25 is considered old for that arena. On the other hand, if I decide to start a new business at that age, it may be difficult, but it's doable. I may need to work through the 5 blocks above, but with the proper determination, resources and support, I can do it. Some other ways we can look at and face obstacles:
As you work through your obstacles, you can learn and create strategies to help you manage future ones:
As you succeed in moving through an obstacle, you build the
confidence to take the next step. You don't have to do it fast,
and you don't have to do it perfectly. You can, in fact, learn
a lot from your mistakes, so that you deal with future obstacles
with more finesse. Look at your obstacles as an opportunity to
grow stronger and more competent, and you will be able to embrace
them and make the most of them.
To get clarity on a chaotic to-do list, try using an Excel spreadsheet or a table in Word. List your tasks and goals in the first column, followed by a column for each coming month (or week if you need to be more specific). For each goal, put a deadline date or an X (or a series of X's to mark out time for a project) in the appropriate column(s). Then, you can rearrange and fine-tune the list as your goals become clearer over time.
"It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly."
"The human capacity to fight back will always astonish doctors and philosophers. It seems, indeed, that there are no circumstances so bad and no obstacles so big that man cannot conquer them."
"History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats."
"I've been terrified every day of my life but that's never stopped me from doing everything I wanted to do."
(click on the book or tape graphic to see a description at Amazon.com) Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway . . . Susan Jeffers Waking Up: Overcoming the Obstacles to Human Potential . . . Charles T. Tart, PhD Noble Heart: A Self-Guided Retreat on Befriending Your Obstacles . . . Pema Chodron (audio CD) The Resilience Factor: 7 Essential Skills for Overcoming Life's Inevitable Obstacles . . . Karen Reivich, Andrew Shatte Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul - Stories of Triumphing Over Life's Obstacles . . . Jack Canfield (Editor), Mark Victor Hansen, Heather McNamara Getting Through the Day: A Practical Guide to Tapping Internal Resources to Overcome Life's Obstacles Through Imaging and Guided Meditation . . . Nancy J. Napier (audiocassette)
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