Ryan Holiday, aka the king of all things stoicism, number 1 New York best seller, The Obstacle is the Way.

What I have learnt…

There will be Obstacles. All the time.

To overcome those obstacles, a discipline of three steps is required;

• PERCEPTION – How we look at the obstacle (our attitude and approach)
• ACTION – Are you running away from it, or toward it (creating new opportunities)
• WILL – Strength to endure, contextualise, and derive meaning from the obstacles we cannot simply overcome (perseverance, preparation, acceptance & appreciation).

Focus on what you can change.

‘I am not and never will be, powerless‘ –

We have to find a calm acceptance that things will happen, we can then choose how to perceive them and hopefully find the strength and will within ourselves to look for the positive and trust that there is a lesson but a greater opportunity in the obstacle.

Learning to control our emotions we can look objectively at the obstacle without creating a mess in our own beautiful minds (that are sometimes just trying to protect us).

One of the biggest lessons I have learnt personally is to NEVER email back straight away to something I have felt an emotional response to. wait 24 hours and let it pass. Particularly with all the soul inspired entrepreneurs who can find themselves in blurred edged boundaries between their personal life and business.

“True genius, is a mind of large general powers accidentally determined in some particular direction”. – Dr. Samuel Johnson

‘Focusing exclusively on what is in our power magnifies and enhances our power’ – RH.

How’s your focus? Take a read overview my ‘own your time’ article to look at some easy tips to own your time, your greatest asset.

Focus on you, your dreams and the magic you can make beauty.

Comment one thing different you’re going to do today? (because when it’s out in the world you’re so much more accountable).