Why Obstacles Don’t Mean You’re Going in The Wrong Direction (they often mean the opposite).
(Originally posted in 2015).
How often have I heard this?
Is this the right path for me? If only I could just see to the end of it to be sure.
The Universe is telling me my [insert big idea or dream here] is wrong because it’s not going exactly to plan.’
Three weeks ago, I excitedly finished my new website. It had taken months to create and I was thrilled, ready to tell the world-I’d wanted to do this for years. But, what happened?
I simultaneously contracted a giant chest infection AND discovered (on testing it out on my business groupin the US) that about a third of people that tried to view my spangly new website, just couldn’t-it wouldn’t load.
My response: Aaaargh, lie down, cough, get up, have lots of almost unintelligible web conversations, cough and think, ‘what the hell is going on??’
At the same time, a close friend of mine was trying to get ready for the adventure of a lifetime. She’s been wanting to make this trip to Europe for a long time but had been too broke/scared/not ready to do it. Finally, she’d committed, found a place to take a course in Italy, bought her plane ticket and rented out her room.
What happened?
Yep, you guessed it.
She was beset by obstacles: unexpected bills, she couldn’t find a hotel in budget, she got sick, her apartment’s plumbing broke and those fears that she’d been working so hard to cure started to grow out of hand.
She said, ‘I’m sure that if this trip were the right thing to do, things would just come together easily. I think it’s a sign I’m doing the wrong thing.’
Ever said that?
Forced into reflection on the subject for us both, with some spare thinking time in my sick bed I contemplated, were either of going in the wrong direction?
I finally came to the conclusion, that we weren’t. Obstacles are there for another (if somewhat frustrating) reason.
They test your resolve and build strength.
Without obstacles and set backs we’d never build our abilities to cope, to face our fears and show ourselves that we REALLY want something. My friend took on the obstacles one by one, almost totally overwhelmed at times, she still (I’m proud to say) got on that plane. She now knows she can do that and so much more in the future.
They force us to deal with stuff we’ve been ignoring.
This one applies especially to me. I’d been living in a flat with damp and mould for a year now-in fact the bedroom had started to become it’s own eco system. Of course, we’d tried to make it better, complained countless times, had discovered the building was at fault and still our landlord was slow to act. Not wanting to face moving, we’d tried to go on with life there until my body said, ‘No’ with a big old (probably damp induced) chest infection.
It does that, I’ve got one of the bodies that likes to tell me how it is.
It said, pay attention this is bad for your health and if you’re wanting to take your life and work to the next level, well lady this building ain’t gonna support you. So, I thought I’d tell you right now before you jet off!
Oh.
The spiritual folk say, when your vibration rises, anything not in line with it will drop out and make itself known. Well, it did.
Obstacles are just part of life.
Apparently life isn’t supposed to be totally plane sailing every day and full of kittens. The most amazing people have had the greatest obstacles to face. That’s just being alive.
3 weeks later here I am with my website fixed (by an amazing lady in the US), with my health good again (hurrah) and I’m about to move house (to somewhere that magically came along it seemed and is much better then we expected). Phew! This is exactly what I used to get through all that.
Here’s my: 3 Step Guide to Overcoming Obstacles.
The Steps are:
Is this really an obstacle?
What exactly is the obstacle?
How do I resolve it?
Sounds simple right?! It is, but it can take a little bravery not to get lost in the doubt & worry & be prepared to put your ass on the line!
