Obstacles are a normal part of my day. Random, unintentional, and otherwise, roadblocks show up, forcing one to take a fresh look at how to respond. My natural reaction is to attack. If I can work harder, smarter, or more effectively, I will overcome. I hold a belief; no obstacle can block the pursuit of a dream.
I have held this view for a long time. As I deal with life’s lessons, I am beginning to wonder if I have been too stubborn in my beliefs. Perhaps my rigidity with the word “block” has led me to fight instead of collaborate.
A veteran sailor’s comment on a journey reminded me that sailing is all about destinations and process. “We ran into bad weather and found it impossible to stay on course.” (Acts 27.7) The precise journey is far less relevant than how you work with the elements to reach your goal.
Perhaps my approach to obstacles is obsolete. If I consider when I have been successful, I find common threads playing out.
Achieving great goals comes from working with others. Greatness is found outside of one’s self. Others extend our vision, reach, and abilities.
Reaching the unreachable does not mean that one has to solve the impossible. Along the way, one may overcome or circumvent big problems. The mission requires that one respond, but it does not include resolving the problems for others.
Remaining on a problem simply means that the destination will move farther away. They are natural. Winter seasons could be a metaphor to the fact that there will be obstacles to our goals. The question is never if they will occur. The unknown is in our reply.
Obstacles and storms are opportunities to adjust and leverage the elements. If you turn the negatives on edge, the outlook is quite different. Vicious winds become a window to harness more power to help us achieve our goal. Dark storms create an opportunity to form new communities based on sharing the load. Even uncertainties provide a foundation for us to affirm our sense of common purpose.
