The Obstacle is the Way
by Ryan Holiday
Print | eBook | Audiobook
I mentioned in my review of Mastery by Robert Greene, I went through a rough phase after completing my Master’s degree. Mainly because I had not a clue what I wanted to do with my life. And partly because, deep down, I was dreading the conventional path of employment.
Luckily, at that point, I had also started reading heavily, mainly books on mindset and growth. And I kept the ones that resonated with me. The Obstacle is the Way by Robert Greene’s former research assistant Ryan Holiday is one of those books.
Holiday’s work had a big impact on how I saw setbacks as well as how I tackle them. His work has helped me practise objectivity and see setbacks for what they are. In particular, I came to agree with him that ‘obstacles are actually opportunities to test ourselves, to try new things, and ultimately, to triumph.’
I recently got suspended from selling on Amazon FBA and I turned to The Obstacle is the Way to deal with the stress and anxiety it had brought along with it. It was a much-needed refresher.
Holiday’s thesis
Here is Holiday’s thesis: Through the course of our lives, we have and will face a range of challenges and adversities, from finding a job to dealing with a loss. But what we don’t know is that every adversity has a lesson, an opportunity within it.
Or in Marcus Aurelius’s words:
The impediment to action advances action.
What stands in the way becomes the way.
Marcus Aurelius
If you’re not familiar with Marcus Aurelius, he was last of the five good emperors of Rome. And he is an important figure in the sphere of stoicism, a branch of philosophy which says that although we can’t control the things that happen to us, we can control our response.
Holiday says that the art of turning adversity into triumph has three parts: Perception, action, and will; to each of which he dedicates a third of the book. To drive home his points, Holiday presents stories of historical figures, from Gandhi to Steve Jobs, not only overcoming setbacks but succeeding because of them.
Perception
Whether you think you can, or think you can’t — you’re right
Henry Ford
The above quote is a cliche but it’s also true: our attitude is at the heart of progress. For example, say you recently lost your job. In this case, you would have two options: be emotional and dwell or recalibrate and take control.
If you think that the setback impeding you is insurmountable, you’re already at a disadvantage. Here is the reality: the world, society is already doing this for us. I’m sure you’ve been told many times that you’re can’t do this or that. I know I have.
What instead if we take control and start telling ourselves that “we are capable of dealing with difficulties and that we can do something about them.” This is the first step to achieving our full potential, which is unknown by the way. But I do know that we are capable of things beyond our imagination.
Holiday introduces a range of tactics that we can deploy to see difficulties for what they are; nothing more, nothing less.
In addition, if we don’t expect opportunities within the setbacks impeding us, we would have nothing to look forward to. We wouldn’t have any incentive to take action.
Action
Once we understand that we can do something about setbacks that impede us, we must take action.
But here is the caveat, Holiday says ‘action is commonplace, but the right action is not.’ At first, I thought it was obvious. But then I realised we often neglect the obvious. I do agree though: every setback is different and will require slightly different approaches. By the way, the ‘right action’ can be one system but adapted to different situations.
Taking the right action is difficult and requires creativity, persistence, and iteration among others. Taking action is the key to progress.
My favourite story described how Demosthenes overcame his speech impediment. He filled his mouth with pebbles and practised speech. Yes, peculiar but creative. Eventually, he went on to become a successful orator.
Will
Listen life isn’t always easy, although sometimes we wish it were. The world is chaotic and we as a species are more emotional than we think.
I feel like I sound like a ‘motivational guru’ saying this, but life can throw anything at us at any time. And the adversities usually thrown at us can be classified into two groups: controllable and uncontrollable. Dealing with the former is easy but how about the latter?
Holiday says that we can’t control things like death or what other people think of us. But we can control ourselves; we can direct our emotions and response to an extent.
This concept (one of the main themes of the book) is important to bear in mind, especially when facing adversities outside of our control. Showing courage in the face of adversity and making it through the tunnel helps us develop will power, which always prevails.
Personally speaking, I am glad that life involves some chaos. I think it’s great. Why? Because the feeling of succeeding in spite of challenges is addictive. As difficult it might be to believe but I look forward to challenges. They provide me with a chance to succeed. Or a chance to practise virtues like gratefulness, courage, self-reliance etc.
Conclusion
When I decided to reread The Obstacle is the Way I knew exactly what I was going to get. At the time, I needed a dose of optimism and that’s exactly what I got, although most people wouldn’t expect that from a book based on stoicism.
I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a book that provides a framework for dealing with and overcoming challenges that life throws at us. It’s a practical book full of anecdotes, fun and easy to read. Happy reading 🙂
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