The Obstacle Is The Way Flashcards
What is the obstacle is the way about?
The book starts with a story about a king who saw his people getting soft. In order to test this he placed a big rock on the road. All the people just waited until one person took a stick and rolled the stone away. Underneath the rock was a pouch with gold and a note:
“In every obstacle there is the chance to prove ourselves.”
Obstacle is the way - part 1 perception
Part 1 perception:
Being scared, intimidated etc is not going to help us. The discipline of perception is about seeing clearly, objectively and calmly and then seeing the good inside the bad. Based on this moving forward and taking action on that. Where everybody sees difficulty, you see opportunities.
Example stories:
- Rockefeller investing in crisis and staying objective and making money
- john glenn, first appolo austronaut and his heartbeat never went up: they practiced over and over again, it was not scary anymore
- periclis, during war an eclipse appeared and the men are terrified. Periclies acts fast and puts a cloak on the man’s head and ask are you now scared? Darkness is the same and it does not matter what causes it
- Eisenhouwer turning the invasion of normandie by seeing it as opportunity
Obstacle is the way - part 2 Action
Part 2 action:
The thoughts alone is not enough, it is the action you take following the thought makes the difference. Things are never going to be perfect deal with what you’ve got and take action.
The stoics are action action action… you can use the worst that is happend to us as a springboard for who we want to be
-Example 1 desmastisis:
Family treasure is stolen and he decides he is going to do something about it. He practices his speeches every day until he eventually becomes one of the best speakers.
Always make momentum otherwise you will crash.
-Example 2 first female pilot:
She is offered to join the first flight but in terrible circumstances such as getting no payment. She accepts because she knows she can use the fame later on, and indeed she succeeded.
In this action is crucial to keep going when others stop.
-example 3 - julius grant war story
He tried everything and in this way hé ultimately came up with a risky plan that would win him the war.
Its all about persistence and dedication
-Example 4 - Edison with the light bulb
1% inspiration and 99% persistence.
Its also about following a methodogal process. The process is small and humble but ultimately unbeatable.
-example 5: football coach
Don’t focus on the championship rather focus on the immediate actions that can be done. As stated by Zeno well-being is accomplished by small steps, but its no small thing. Also with Ryan holiday writing his book first focus on the small things in the process
The great don’t directly throw themselves at the wall, they rather try to get over or under it. The greatest achievers find the opportunities inside the obstacle
- Example only a miniscule percentage of all batlles are fought head on. Its all about tricery and faints.
- Example ghandi does not build an army he rather uses the strenght of the english army against them
- Example Martin luther king physical power must be met with soul power
Obstacle is the way - part 3 Will
Example oddyseus:
10 years he is lost, almost getting home and then being thrown back by the wind. But never giving up
Example Abraham Lincoln:
Devestady youth lives up in poverty, abusive father and ultimately the best president during the civil war because he knows what pain is, he knows how to be patience, how to think about other people and knows how to hang on. Every obstacle and pain encountered made him to the person he needed to be.
That is what ultimately stoicm is about, amor fati. Using what happened to you as fuel to become the person you want to become. The stoic say anything can be hard… but only you can quit. And if you don’t chose the quit you learn.
- Example Edison:
Fire in the factory instead of breaking down he says: call everybody this fire will they never see again. He rebuilds and becomes better than before. This is a key principle of the stoicm: amor fati. And not only accepting the things outside our control, but loving and embracing it.
No obstacle is so bad that you don’t decide to learn from it, only you can make this decision.
-example General stockdale
Never loses fate and decides to be there for the soldiers. This is what stocim is about, even when live is horribly on you, it is time to step up and making something out of what happend
What is the conclusion of the obstacle is the way?
Quote marcus aurelius:
Objective judgment, now at this very moment
Unselfish action now at this very moment
Willing and acceptance now at this very moment
- of all external events, thats all you need
