Lessons from “The Obstacle Is the Way”
by Nino · 39 things on NewTwos
- The Discipline of Perception
- Perception is how we see and understand what occurs around us—and what we decide those events will mean.
- 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.
- To prevent becoming overwhelmed by the world around us, we must, as the ancients practiced, learn how to limit our passions and their control over our lives.
- It takes skill and discipline to bat away the pests of bad perceptions, to separate reliable signals from deceptive ones, to filter out prejudice, expectation, and fear.
- But it’s worth it, for what’s left is truth.
- While others are excited or afraid, we will remain calm and imperturbable.
- We will see things simply and straightforwardly, as they truly are—neither good nor bad.
- This will be an incredible advantage for us in the fight against obstacles.
- The Discipline of Action
- The second part of the book deals with how to take action.
- First, remember: Action is commonplace, right action is not.
- As a discipline, it’s not any kind of action that will do, but directed action.
- Everything must be done in the service of the whole.
- Step by step, action by action, we can dismantle the obstacles in front of us.
- With persistence and flexibility, we can act in the best interest of our goals.
- Action requires courage, not brashness—creative application and not brute force.
- Our movements and decisions define us: We must be sure to act with deliberation, boldness, and persistence.
- Those are the attributes of right and effective action.
- Nothing else—not thinking or evasion or aid from others.
- Action is the solution and the cure to our predicaments.
- The Discipline of the Will
- Will is our internal power, which can never be affected by the outside world.
- It is our final trump card.
- If action is what we do when we still have some agency over our situation, the will is what we depend on when agency has all but disappeared.
- Placed in some situation that seems unchangeable and undeniably negative, we can turn it into a learning experience, a humbling experience, a chance to provide comfort to others.
- That’s will power.
- But that needs to be cultivated.
- We must prepare for adversity and turmoil, we must learn the art of acquiescence and practice cheerfulness even in dark times.
- Too often people think that will is how bad we want something.
- In actuality, the will has a lot more to do with surrender than with strength.
- Try “God willing” over “the will to win” or “willing it into existence,” for even those attributes can be broken.
- True will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility; the other kind of will is weakness disguised by bluster and ambition.
- See which lasts longer under the hardest of obstacles.
- The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday
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