Obstacles

What is the purpose of an obstacle when it appears in our life?

When we are trying to level-up, push through to a new way of being, or heal, obstacles seem to come around right when we start thinking to ourselves, “I got this,” triggering our spiral into a land of confusion that could very possibly push us way off course if we give in.

So why do they come around, and what attention (if any) do we need to give them?

Here’s the thing… whatever we still need to heal from will very often make itself known when we are trying to move forward to our next step in life. No matter how big the leap, or how different the change, we can almost expect obstacles to show up just when we think we’re ready to go. When this happens, chances are we are ready to go on many levels, but if we push forward without addressing the old triggers or hurts that are lurking in our shadows, our ride will most likely not be a smooth one.

We have a choice in these moments, we can look at the obstacles/triggers/wounds and see what they are showing us, we can press on and try our best to ignore them, or we can give up and throw in the towel. If we try to ignore them or throw in the towel, it’s very possible that we will come face to face with a similar situation in the future. The presence of an obstacle does not necessarily mean that we are on the wrong path. In fact, it could very well point to the knowing that we are absolutely on the right path, as long as we remember that growing and learning through processing blocks is part of the fabric of life.

Of course there are times when we may not be entirely ready to work with our blocks and obstacles and keep moving in the direction that we were headed in. That’s okay. If the path we were following is the right one, our opportunities will show up again another time with different details. We can only run from things for so long until we have to face them and grow through the pain or discomfort. But we also have to do it at a pace that we can handle. If it’s not time, it’s not time. But if the time is ripe and we think we may not have the strength, it’s a great time for us to go deep into journaling, meditation, stillness, prayer, and all other forms of personal reflection and communion with that which is greater than us to help us navigate our way through.

Above all, we must remember that the path is not linear. We may have begun with a grand idea of what things would look like as we gracefully danced from point A to point B, but it rarely ever looks that way. The path is curvy, filled with spikes and dips, and we would do best to remember that any time the going gets a little rough.

Godspeed all.

You got this.