[📚Sunday Book Club]: Ryan Holiday; "The Obstacle Is The Way"

[📚Sunday Book Club]: Ryan Holiday; "The Obstacle Is The Way"

“The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.” ― Ryan Holiday

Just keep reading till the end to get the juicy reason why I picked this book — I promise it’s entertaining 🤓

Everything I have read so far from Ryan Holiday has been highly practical and actionable, and comes from a life philosophy of how to thrive in uncertain times. That means kinda all the time, don’t you think?

His book, The Obstacle Is The Way, leans on timeless philosophical principles laid down by the wisdom of the Stoics. It’s like a formula used by icons of history, from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Steve Jobs.

Ryan Holiday consolidates his work into three disciplines which can help us overcome obstacles:

  1. Perception: how we view our problems
  2. Action: how we approach and deal with obstacles
  3. Will: how we cultivate and maintain our inner power

Here are some quotes to get you more inspired to run out and grab a copy:

“Remember that this moment is not your life, it’s just a moment in your life. Focus on what is in front of you, right now. Ignore what it “represents” or it “means” or “why it happened to you.”

“Persistence is an action. Perseverance is a matter of will. One is energy. The other, endurance.”

“We’re soft, entitled, and scared of conflict. Great times are great softeners. Abundance can be its own obstacle, as many people can attest.”

“Perceptions can be managed. Actions can be directed. We can always think clearly, respond creatively. Look for opportunity, seize the initiative. What we can’t do is control the world around us—not as much as we’d like to, anyway. We might perceive things well, then act rightly, and fail anyway.”

I can’t express enough how helpful it is to have a chance to go back to “basics” when facing obstacles. 

And now the backstory of this book selection.

I made a mistake. Well, I made a poor choice in buying a rental property and now I have to deal with “reality”. The house is in a questionable neighborhood with squatters breaking in. Yep!  The property manager and police tried to fix it multiple times until I had no choice but move in to fix it and sell it. So here I am house-sitting in a small mountain town in Virginia, 3+ hours away from my home and office, trying to find that damn silver lining. 😂

So far: 2023 taxes are ready to roll, my email box is getting under control, some meetings got pushed to earlier slots, ….stuff is getting done at a much faster pace. Looks like this unwanted side gig is actually turning into a much needed deep work session. 

As “life happens for us”, it’s really important to keep your mind and focus in the right direction. I’m wishing us all to be able to see through and have the strength to keep going. No matter what, just keep going.

Let 2024 be our Best Year EVER!

Love, Hana❤️

P.S. Here is what I have written on a single post-it note and taped to my mirror for daily reflection:
  • Stay objective
  • Keep things in perspective
  • Control your emotions
  • Look for the silver lining
  • Stay in the present moment
  • Focus on what can be controlled
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