To overcome roadblocks on the path of life, you’re going to need some introspection. Obstacles are always opportunities in disguise, IF you can figure out how to respond to them. As with all things, you are the one who strikes up the struggle or the accord with your perception. When in doubt, remember the words of Jodi Picoult, “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo- far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” Whether or not a roadblock is blessing or burden is within your realm of control.
The Gift of Unfortunate Events
The job you didn’t get, the relationship that didn’t work out, the effort that went unnoticed…It’s easy to hang our heads and lament. “Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” is a rally cry for the woman who’s stuck. Generally, our “stuckness” is born of a lack of acceptance, our resistance to change, and an unwillingness to go along with life as it flows. Even when turns of events grate harshly against our will, there is a lesson there, just waiting patiently for us to absorb it. The thing is, every series of unfortunate events is both a tide and a blessing. In other words, it is a temporary flow and an opportunity to grow. Through acceptance of what is, we learn to pivot, grow, and adapt as life provides the lessons that we need to get where we are going. It isn’t always pretty, and may not always seem just, yet if we can welcome change without resistance, we flow freely into the unknown without all the struggle and turmoil of rebuke. The energy that we used to squander on moving against the currents of life with the ego can then be transformed into something else, something greater.
How do you actually get out of your own way?
- Don’t let negative self talk or self doubt distract you from the tasks at hand.
- Stay present so that romanticizing the past and projecting or catastrophizing the future can’t derail you.
- Know that wherever you are in this moment is exactly where you’re supposed to be. Flow carries you where you need to be.
- Don’t force it. The processes at work in your life will deliver you in due time.
- Focus on the work instead of the destination.
Be Here Now
Waste no time or tears over falling short of perfection; it is a mirage that you’ve created to prove to yourself that you aren’t good enough. Just be here now. The truth is, you are already worthy and perfectly fine “as is”. We’re all works in progress, and that is enough. Each roadblock is an opportunity to overcome something, learn a lesson, and to spiral up into a different level of life. Be mindful of all the gifts life offers you, even when they present themselves in disguise. When we become willing to walk in the ways that life naturally steers us, we uncover the blessings that each tide brings. Indeed, letting life unfold to you in all of its universal perfection requires you to get out of your own way. Overcome roadblocks and detours with delight by embracing them; something special is waiting for you there. It’s okay when things don’t work out in the way that you’d previously expected.