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

Emerson put it best: “We cannot spend the day in explanation.” Don’t waste time on false constructs.

There’s no question about it: Death is the most universal of our obstacles.

“Everything we could think of have been done, the troops are fit, everybody is doing his best. The answer is in the lap of the gods.”

In your worst moments, picture Johnson: always calm, always in control, genuinely loving the opportunity to prove himself, to perform for people, whether they wanted him to succeed or not.

How skilled we are at cataloging what holds us back!

and objectivity that allowed Rockefeller to seize advantage from obstacle after obstacle in his life,

Don’t let the force of an impression when it first hit you knock you off your feet; just say to it: Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.

His careful, cautious self-confidence was an incredible form of power. To perceive what others see as negative, as something to be approached rationally, clearly, and, most important, as an opportunity—not as something to fear or bemoan.

humor and deadly seriousness, the way he could use his own private turmoil to teach and help others,

The extent of the struggle determines the extent of the growth. The obstacle is an advantage, not adversity.