The Obstacle in the Path Becomes the Path
There is an old story about a king whose people had grown soft and entitled. Dissatisfied with this state of affairs, he wanted to teach them a lesson.
The plan he devised was simple: He placed a large boulder in the middle of the main road that completely blocked entrance into the city. He then hide nearby and observed the reactions of people.
He wondered how they would respond? Would they band together to remove it or would they get discouraged, quit, and return home?
With growing disappointment, the king watched as person after person came to the rock and turned away. At best, a few of the people tried halfheartedly before they gave up. Many openly complained, cursed the king or bemoaned the inconvenience of it all. No one managed to do anything about the rock.
After several days, a solitary peasant came along on his way into town. He did not turn away. Instead, he strained and strained and tried with all his might to push it out of the way.
Then he stepped back and had an idea. “I will hike off into the nearby woods and search for something to use as a lever.” Off he went and eventually returned with a large branch that he crafted into a lever. He took the branch and eventually dislodged the massive rock from the road.
Beneath the rock was a purse of gold coins and a note from the king that read, “The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.”*
What Obstacle is in Your Path?
What is sitting on your path? Uncertainty? Fear? Sickness? Financial stress? Lost opportunity? Canceled plans? Disrupted dreams? Broken promises? Anxiety? Hopelessness? Overwhelming grief due to a loss?
The list can be long and overwhelming. You might feel like the best response is to curl up in a ball or just give up trying to move forward.
It’s normal to complain, curse the king, or bemoan the inconvenience of adverse circumstances. What turns complaining, cursing and bemoaning into a deadend street is the inability or unwillingness to work through the negativity and eventually find a new place to stand.
The key lesson is this: If you want to keep from letting a setback become a permanent roadblock, take time to step back and find a new perspective so you can lean into your obstacle and find your way through it.
Three Life Lessons Learned from the Persistent Peasant
1. The way you look at your problems is more important than the size or shape of the problem
When we change our perspective, we open up a new way to see a problem, regardless of size. New solutions emerge with a new viewpoint.
Research done by Lyumbomirsky on happiness found one of the greatest influences to increase happiness is our ability to reframe our situation more positively. Added to that is the ability to be grateful in all circumstances (I didn’t say for).
When the peasant stepped back and went for a walk, he found a different perspective to see his obstacle from.
2. True hope is found when you have an expectation plus the right tool to help you tackle it
The peasant expected to get to town and didn’t turn back as soon as he couldn’t get there. He stepped back for sure but keep looking for a way to move the boulder.
After he went into the woods, he found a stick large enough to act as a lever that could eventually move the boulder. He also had renewed energy to tackle the problem with.
3. There is always opportunity for growth in the midst of challenging circumstances
What we believe matters. The peasant believed he could do something and he focused on that. He had to wrestle with the boulder for a while but eventually found the gold buried beneath.
I don’t know how many times I’ve found gold underneath the obstacles that stood in my way. Gold has taken the form of open doors to help people, the forming of new friendships, time to slow down and appreciate what really matters, time to develop new skills, and greater empathy because of the struggle and suffering I had to endure.
The challenge is to quiet the voice that says, “Walk away from this obstacle. There’s nothing here for you!”
Listen instead to the voice that says, “No, there is opportunity hidden underneath this obstacle!”
Reflection Questions
What obstacle are you facing that needs a new perspective?
What might a lever represent in your situation?
What positive changes are you seeing in your life as a result of your setbacks?
*Source: The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
