Book Reviews

The Obstacle is the Way : The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday

by journeytoleadershipblog

Not everyone knows how to handle obstacles.

Most people tend to quit at the sight of adversity…

Overcoming obstacles and standing tall in adversity are a learned behavior.

To turn your trials into triumphs, you must:

  • Change our bad perceptions of events.
  • Take directive actions.
  • Strengthen your will power.

The Obstacle is the Way _ The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday

Change your perception

Your perception has power over you and your decisions.

Building up your perception takes time and a lot of practice.

You must discipline your emotions and objectively perceive your world for what it is and not for how it wants to be seen in order to :

  • Temper your passions and primal feelings,
  • Become objective and access the truth.
  • Stay cool under pressure.
  • Stay present and positive.

Your mind is a powerful tool. To actively change your perception:

  • Understand that you cannot change the obstacles.
  • Understand that you are in control of how you perceive the world and your obstacles.
  • Believe that you can choose how to respond to different situations. You can always oppose negativity or shake it off.
  • Trust that you are the one who decides of the outcome of the situation.
  • Assume that there are no good or bad events in life. By thinking so, you make it so.
  • Feel your emotions but get your emotions under control.
  • Tell yourself the truth and be authentic.
  • Use your personal resources wisely. For example, don’t waste your time trying to understand why a situation is the way it is. Those reasons don’t matter.
  • See obstacles as challenges or opportunities to observe, to grow, to improve yourself, to acquire new skills and to try new tactics.
  • Do not make assumptions.
  • Be present, be bold and take calculated risks.
Our perceptions can be a source of strength or of great weakness.-Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle is the Way : The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph. Click To Tweet

Take directive action

After you have corrected your perception, it is time to learn how to act it out.

Each and every one of your actions must serve a purpose.

To act towards your goals with your new perception:

  • Remember that where you start is not where you will end.
  • Start somewhere and fight to create momentum in whatever you undertake.
  • Take the time to explore and to learn.
  • Avoid complaining and take “directive action”. If you have taken action, persevere and don’t quit no matter what.
  • Expect the execution of your plan will be difficult.
  • See obstacles as a way to test your character.
  • Turn negatives into positives.
  • Do not dwell or waste time dwelling on the hand that life has dealt you.
  • Take responsibility for your actions.
  • Don’t let distractions or failed actions stop you. Instead, fail forward, learn from your failures and don’t take them personally.
  • Manage your energy and always do your best with what you have.

Increase your will power

Your will power is something that can never be taken from you.

Maintaining it requires a deep understanding of life.

To increase your will power:

Review

The Obstacle is the Way : The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph is a motivational book that encourages people to withstand adversity and to take action despite adversity. Ryan Holiday shares a philosophical approach, rooted in stoicism, that will help you confront obstacles and turn them upside down.

The Obstacle is the Way : The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph is destined for leaders and entrepreneurs who:

  • Face challenges on a daily basis,
  • Need to make pragmatic decisions and take calculated risks,
  • Want to take their career or business to the next level.

Holiday‘s entire book is based on classical references, historical figures and war leaders, who have distinguished themselves in life and who have adopted stoicism as a life strategy.

Finally, Ryan Holiday also incorporates reputable leaders and entrepreneurs as examples of resilience and will power. If you want to stay motivated and push through your challenges, this book is for you.

Let me know below what you think about this book!

Favorite quote(s)

Our perceptions can be a source of strength or of great weakness. If we are emotional, subjective and shortsighted, we only add to our troubles.
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.
Focusing exclusively on what is in our power magnifies and enhances our power.
But every ounce of energy directed at things we can’t actually influence is wasted—self-indulgent and self-destructive. So much power—ours, and other people’s—is frittered away in this manner.
If you mean it when you say you’re at the end of your rope and would rather quit, you actually have a unique chance to grow and improve yourself. A unique opportunity to experiment with different solutions, to try different tactics, or to take on new projects to add to your skill set.
Leadership requires determination and energy. And certain situations, at times, call on leaders to marshal that determined energy simply to endure.

Ratings 4/5

Author

Ryan Holiday  

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