The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

See things for what they are. Do what we can. Endure and bear what we must.

First, see clearly. Next, act correctly. Finally, endure and accept the world as it is.

We can see the “bad” things that happen in our lives with gratitude and not with regret because we turn them from disaster to real benefit—from defeat to victory.

Behind mountains are more mountains. Elysium is a myth. One does not overcome an obstacle to enter the land of no obstacles. On the contrary, the more you accomplish, the more things will stand in your way.

Instead of denying—or worse, fearing—our mortality, we can embrace it. Reminding ourselves each day that we will die helps us treat our time as a gift.

thinking about and being aware of our mortality creates real perspective and urgency. It doesn’t need to be depressing. Because it’s invigorating.

What would I change about my life if the doctor told me I had cancer?

You love it because it’s all fuel. And you don’t just want fuel. You need it.

It’s a little unnatural, I know, to feel gratitude for things we never wanted to happen in the first place. But we know, at this point, the opportunities and benefits that lie within adversities. We know that in overcoming them, we emerge stronger, sharper, empowered.