Saturday Journaling Prompt:

When and where am I my biggest obstacle?

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All Shapes and Sizes

Obstacles are those annoying things that block your way and stop you from achieving your goals.

There you are driving along the road of life happily getting along, going to a job you enjoy, dropping the kids off every morning, they’re doing really well at school. Bills come in but they’re mostly paid on time and your social life is well, pretty social. Cruise control set for a comfortable ride.

Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you slam on the brakes to avoid smashing into a massive tree that has fallen just two feet in front of your vehicle. The road is covered in debris and traffic is fast backing up. You’re stuck. There’s no access. You’ve got a major problem. The obstacle in the road is obstructing your ride home.

Obstacles come in all shapes and sizes with mischievous intentions and hidden agendas. Some are freakishly big and want to squeeze dear life out of you. Some annoyingly pop up all over the place and never leave you alone. Still, there are obstacles that are so grossly overweight, they weigh you down with a permanent struggle. Others are notoriously mean and just hellbent on making your life a misery.

So, what do you do when these obstacles inconveniently come your way? When hardship and limitations are the proverbial trees in the road?

Tap Into Your Resilience

Life is not a straight road. It comes loaded with curves and contours, diversions and detours that are actually strengthening your ride. The obstacles that come your way are disguised as struggle, but really they’re crafting the circumstances for your growth. They’re forcing you to look within and pull out all the stops. That mean, horrible, obstacle is not mean at all. It’s willing you to dig deep into every creative resource, every latent ability, and find a way out. Find a solution and find your glory.

The obstacles that keep popping up, they’re not trying to annoy you, they’re trying to teach you. Each time they pop up, they know you’re going to tap in. Tap into your resilience, your resolve, tap into whatever it takes to avoid repeating the mistakes over and over again.

Those obstacles may be freakishly big as they head in your direction but you shouldn’t be afraid because the bigger the storm the clearer the view. They’re not trying to choke you, they’re trying to get you to see more clearly. To look beyond the surface and challenge the status quo. To discover new tools to build a solid foundation. To endure the short-term pain for the long-term gain.

So don’t hate the obstacles or wish them all away, that big heavy-built one is thankfully, here to stay. It’s not trying to weigh you down with hardship, strain, and struggle, it wants to set you free by prizing you out of your comfort zone, so you can discover the magic life has in store. That big old bulging obstacle will push you out of your safety net and lead you down the unconventional road. A road filled with opportunities you never even knew, that builds your character along the way. Each step bestows you with new skills, new learning to develop your potential. To overcome your challenges, and to stand tall and with confidence in the world.

So when the tree falls in the road, you don’t sit there in hopeless desperation. You figure it out. You draw upon the obstacles of the past and the growth that propelled you back then are now the stepping stones of your forward-moving journey. You’re stronger, richer, and with the knowledge that the ride home has just become far more interesting.

To succeed, treat obstacles as challenges that make your journey more interesting.

Let’s work with these 5 questions to overcome obstacles and achieve the success you deserve.

1. How could I deal with my inner obstacles and grow as a person?
2. What external obstacles do I expect to meet? How will I overcome them?
3. What could I stop doing, do less of, more of, continue doing and start doing to achieve my goals?
4. Choose someone inspirational, for example, Oprah Winfrey. What do they do to overcome difficulties?
5. What am I ready to change in my life to achieve my goals and dreams?

Ponder these questions over the week ahead, Journal around them to go deeper.

JOURNALING

It’s hard to deny the numerous benefits of Journaling. From your physical and mental well-being, to feeling a sense of emotional safety and security. Getting your thoughts and feelings out on paper, and processing them in an objective way, lowers anxiety and helps you manage stress. When life feels overwhelming and you’re spinning out of control, journaling is there to bring some perspective and organize your mind in a more manageable way. It’s calming, it’s healing, it’s a place where you can be yourself and call it home. Make journaling an integral part of your routine. Be consistent, at least once a week to start. And for everything journaling, cast yourself to be the star of the show!

With grace and gratitude

Michelle

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