Obstacles are only temporary...
Posted on 27th June 2018 at 07:45
We all face obstacles from time to time. Or challenges, if you prefer (!).
Large or small. Anticipated or coming out of the blue. Necessitating a small detour or sounding the death knell for our plans and dreams. Some even seem to have a life of their own, bringing their friends with them and settling in for a party (!).
Often, it’s not the obstacle itself that defeats us, but how we perceive it. And so react to it.
In other words, our mindset is more important than the obstacle itself in determining how successfully we deal with it.
For those with more of a “doom and gloom” mindset – their glass is ALWAYS half empty – the slightest deviation from their plans is the end of the world. Not surprisingly, it’s all too easy for them to give up, because all hope seems lost.
Similarly, those who are very fixed on HOW things should happen – and try to micro manage every aspect of their lives – can become equally discouraged when things don’t pan out in the way they expect.
While it may be an unpalatable truth for some, there are so many variables in life that we can NEVER know EXACTLY how even the simplest thing is going to work out. Let alone those that are more complicated or longer term.
So, next time you face an obstacle, why not stand back and look at it from a slightly more objective viewpoint?
See if it really is as big / bad / immoveable / fill in the blank as you thought it was.
And, if you’re still finding it hard to gain a little perspective, here’s a great question to ask yourself to get it:
Will whatever it is matter in a week? Let alone a month or year?
The answer is probably “no.”
The majority of obstacles are temporary, although how long “temporary” is can vary (!).
And, don’t forget, there are many different ways to deal with any obstacle. You don’t have to adopt the armageddon solution of utterly destroying it. You can go round it, over it or make your own small path through.
Sometimes simply leaving it alone will give it time to sort itself out. And it’s amazing how often this happens, IF you just give it a chance.
If you’re still stumped for ideas, why not give your head a rest and go and do something else instead? Give your subconscious mind a chance to come up with one of those bright ideas that seem to pop up from nowhere.
It’s easy to forget that your conscious mind can ONLY come up with ideas based on your experience and knowledge. This means it’s VERY limited in the potential solutions it can come up with.
By contrast, the subconscious mind is endlessly creative. It’s where all those flashes of inspiration and off the wall solutions come from. BUT – and this is a big but – it’s easily drowned out by the loud voice of your conscious mind and often ignored. This is why it ONLY comes to you when your conscious mind is quiet or distracted by something else.
Obstacles are ALWAYS a hint that there is a better – or easier – way to do something. Or, sometimes, that a re think is needed on the path we’re taking, particularly if we seem to be meeting one obstacle after another. They’re ALWAYS a blessing in disguise and ONLY turn into a problem if we don’t take the hint…
As always, the choice is yours.
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