1. THE
OBSTACLE
IS THE WAY
RYAN HOLIDAY

2. Mention the obstacle that you face
Personal life As a student
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3. OBSTACLE
Setback or problems are always
expected and never permanent.
Making certain that what stops us
can empower us.
Either you are
paralyzed by it
Or you become
stronger by it

4. Lets know in brief about the 3 steps to overcome Obstacles

5. Overcoming obstacles is of three steps
Perception Action Will

6. STEP 1
PERCEPTION

7. Perception
It is how we see and understand
what occurs around us and what
we decide those events will mean.
Or
Objective judgement that is our
approach and attitude towards
problems

8. A. Discipline of perception
When faced with insurmountable obstacle, we must try to:
▫ Be objective
▫ Control emotions
▫ Choose to see the good in the situation
▫ Steady our nerves
▫ Ignore what disturbs or limits others
▫ Place things in perspective
This is how you see opportunity within the obstacle, it
does not happen on its own. It is a process one that
results from self discipline and logic

9. B. Recognise your power
▫ We decide what we will make of each and every situation; whether we will break or
resist.
▫ Through our perceptions of events, we are complicit in the creation as well as the
destruction of each of our obstacles.
▫ We decide what story to tell ourselves.
Rubin Hurrican Carter

10. C. Steady your nerves
▫ Regardless of how much actual danger we’re in, stress puts
us at the potential whim of our baser—fearful—instinctual
reactions.
▫ Grace and poise are, because these two attributes precede
the opportunity to deploy any other skill.
▫ “I don’t agree to be intimidated”, “I don’t call it as failure”.
▫ Nerve is also a matter of acceptance
▫ e.g. It’s not easy but the path is there, If your nerve holds
then nothing really did happen - our perception can ensure
as if nothing of consequence happened
Ulysses S. Grant

11. D. Control your emotions
▫ Life is really no different. Obstacles make us emotional, but
the only way we’ll survive or overcome them is by keeping
those emotions in check—if we can keep steady no matter
what happens, no matter how much external events may
fluctuate
▫ Practice Apatheria - loss of harmful, unhelpful thoughts.
Just say “No thank you, I cannot afford to panic.”
▫ Always remind yourself: “I am in control, not my emotions. I see
what’s really going on here. I’m not going to get excited or
upset.”
▫ We defeat emotions with logic, or at least that’s the idea.
Logic is questions and statements. With enough of them, we
get to root causes (which are always easier to deal with).

12. E. Practice objectivity
▫ The phrase “this happened and it is bad” has 2
parts:
1. ‘this happened’ is objective .
2. “it is bad’ is subjective.
Objectivity means removing ‘you’- the subjective
part from the equation.
▫ Perception is the problem – it gives us
information we don’t need at this moment.
Focus on what’s in front of us right now.
▫ Give yourself clarity and not sympathy.
When we are giving others advice, Their
problem are crystal clear to us

13. F. Alter your perspective
▫ Perspective is everything.
▫ We are scared of obstacles because our perspective is wrong,
that a simple shift in perspective can change our reactions
completely.
1. How we approach, view and contextualize an obstacle and what
we tell ourselves it means, determines our ability to overcome it.
▫ Perspective has two definition and both matter:
1. Context - Our larger sense of the world, not just current
situation.
2. Framing – Our unique way of looking at the world and interpret
it’s events.

14. G. Is it up to you?
▫ Focusing exclusively on what’s in our power magnifies and
enhances our power. But focusing on things we can’t
influence - erodes our power.
▫ Ask one question over and over again - is there a chance,
do I have a shot, is there something I can do. Looks for a yes,
no matter how small the chance.
▫ When it comes to perception, this is the crucial distinction to
make: the difference between the things that are in our
power and the things that aren’t.
▫ Most critical perception question- is this in your control?
Tommy John- Baseball

15. H. Live in the present moment
▫ Half of Fortune 500 companies started during a bear market/recession.
▫ Because the founders lived day by day, they lived in the present
moment.
▫ The implications of our obstacle are theoretical—they exist in the past
and the future. We live in the moment. And the more we embrace that,
the easier the obstacle will be to face and move.
▫ How to pull yourself into the present moment:
1. Exercise/unplug yourself to remind how good present is.
2. Remember this moment is not your life, it is 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’

16. I. Think differently
▫ Be open. Question. - don’t listen too closely what
others say. We will accomplish nothing by that. (
Steve job’s reality distortion field).
▫ Our perceptions determine, to an incredibly large
degree, what we are and are not capable of. In
many ways, they determine reality itself.
▫ Normally, the first judgement and the objection
that spring out of people is always rooted in fear.
So we need to challenge that.

17. J. Finding the opportunity
▫ Every situation is an opportunity for us to act.
▫ “There is good in everything, if only we look for it.”
▫ It is our pre-conceptions that are the problem. They tell us
that things should or need to be in a certain way. so when
they’re not, we naturally assume that we are at a
disadvantage
▫ The struggle against an obstacle propels the fighter to a
new level of functioning. The extent of struggle
determines the extent of the growth. The obstacle is an
advantage, not adversity.
Blitzkreig Strategy- World War II

18. PREPARE TO ACT
▫ The proper perception—objective,
rational, ambitious, clean—isolates the
obstacle and exposes it for what it is.
▫ A clearer head makes for steadier
hands. And then those hands must be
put to work. Good use
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19. Action

20. A. Discipline of Action
▫ Once you see the world as it is, you must
act.
▫ Only we can solve our problems in
achieving our goals.
▫ The only one way to achieve our goals- is to
meet problems with the right action and
with energy, persistence, pragmatism, etc
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Demosthenes- Athens

21. B. Get moving
▫ All the greats we admire started by saying- “YES”, let’s go. And
they usually did it in less desirable circumstances then we will
ever suffer
▫ You’ve got a million reasons why you can’t move at a faster
pace. This all makes the obstacles in your life loom very large,
So don’t sit and complain that you don’t have what you want or
that the obstacle wont move.
▫ If you haven’t even tried yet, then of course you will still be in
the exact same place.
▫ If you want momentum, you will have to create it yourself, right
now by getting up and getting started
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Amelia Earheart- 1920

22. C. Practice persistence
▫ Persist and Resist - persist in your efforts and resist
temptations to get into distraction, discouragement
and disorder
▫ Quitting is not Option
▫ Thomas Edison tested 6000 filaments for the electric
bulb. Proving that genius is often persistence in
disguise.
▫ It’s Supposed to be hard. Your first attempts aren’t
going to work. It’s going to take a lot out of you but
energy is renewable resource. So settle for long haul
and keep trying possibilities.
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23. ITERATE
▫ FAIL QUICK, FAIL CHEAP
▫ Failure is asset if you try to
improve.
▫ Try, Failing, Improving
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24. Follow the Process
▫ Follow the process and not price.
▫ Break Large Objective into small task
and concentrate on each task.
▫ Un ordered mind loses track of what
infront of it- what matters – and gets
distracted by thoughts of future
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25. DO YOUR JOB, DO IT RIGHT
▫ Andrew Johnson was a Tailor
Before becoming President
▫ James Garfield was a peon in
school before becoming
President.
▫ People are busy thinking about
future, they don’t take pride in the
task given
▫ Each day is chance to do best
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26. What’s right is what works
▫ Focus on short term goals,
long term will be taken
care
▫ Richard wright: Will you
let this boy borrow some
books
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27. IN PRAISE OF FLANK ATTACK
▫ Do not attack opponents in their
strong Areas
▫ George Washington was leading
small army, but he always attacked
in unexpected ways. Went around
mountains, in midnight etc.
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28. USE OBSTACLES AGAINST THEMSELVES
▫ Mahatma Gandhi, Martin
Luther King Jr used non
violence against violence
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29. CHANNEL YOUR ENERGY
▫ Arthur Ashe black tennis player never
showed his anger, happiness on his
face. That’s because during that time
white people didn’t like to see black
people celebrating
▫ Arthur showed that feelings in his game
result.
▫ We are restricted by rules, customs,
religion hierarchy but we should not
comparing about it instead put same
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30. SEIZE THE OFFENSIVE
▫ Barack Obama – “ A more perfect
union” Speech a transformative
moment in presidential election
campaign. Instead of distancing
himself Obama addressed directly.
▫ Everyone can take advantage from
favorable situation. But only few
turn disaster into advantage.
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31. PREPARE FOR NONE OF IT TO WORK
▫ Preception can be managed,
Actions can be directed.
▫ Accept failure gracefully
▫ Problems are chance for us to do
our best
▫ Forgiveness increases our
acceptance.
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