Thousands of years ago, a Roman commander sat down to write down his reflections on how to live a triumphant life over adversity. The result of Marcus Aurelius’ efforts was his Meditations; a treatise which has hugely influenced Western culture, and which still holds great value to readers today.
Building on these millennia-old musings, influencer and marketer Ryan Holiday produced his own book called The Obstacle is the Way, which makes one crucial central argument:
“The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every
obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.”
The thesis is simple yet profound – difficult to achieve, yet hugely transformative when done so. In short, this powerful book is about turning obstacles “upside-down” – so that they become opportunities.
This book will resonate with people whose life outlook aligns closely with the ancient Greek Stoics, who claimed that you cannot control your external circumstances – only the way you respond to them.
Every one of us has at least one “obstacle” we are facing – some frustration, unexpected problem or an ongoing issue. If you do not now, then you will in the future! How should you respond? What if there is a better way to handle it, even if you cannot necessarily change it or make sense of it?
This book provides powerful, practical steps to help the reader deal with their obstacles in a healthier, more resilient way through three key steps:
1.Perceive differently.
2.Take action.
3.Exert your will.
Interested to learn more about how these steps work? We commend this book to you!
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