Obstacles

“Obstacles are those frightening things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.”

Henry Ford

Happy Monday! 

I hope you spent your weekend doing something you enjoy. I was particularly motivated and began an herb garden in some lovely raised planters a friend crafted for me. It felt so good to get away from electronics, get my hands in some soil, and spend some time outdoors. I highly recommend this very mindful activity, particularly to those of us who work more than is healthy!

I was thinking about challenges this week. They come in many shapes and sizes and often provide a means of procrastination. Sometimes we delay the completion of our intended goal, and sometimes we abandon the quest altogether.

However, there are occasions when we discover that obstacles may actually work in our favor. Take, for example, that time when there was heavy traffic, and we grumbled because we didn’t leave the office on time. Then we get to the source of the slow-moving traffic only to discover an accident. Had we left the office at the prescribed time, we might have been in the middle of that trouble.

How about the time when we dragged our feet getting out of the house to do some shopping on a Saturday morning? We were upset because we had to stop and attend to some mishap at home. We were further discouraged because we wanted to get things done and be back by a specific time. However, while darting from one place to another, we ran into a dear friend we hadn’t seen in some time. We agreed to stop and catch up over coffee. What a welcomed interruption to our day!

Obstacles can be scary. But, sometimes, they’re precisely what we need to shift course, make a different decision that could be more beneficial, or provide us with a delightful interlude with a friend. Other times they keep us from accomplishing our intended goals, which doesn’t provide us with the favorable outcomes we seek.

This quote from Henry Ford sums up the downside of challenges:

We create goals for a variety of reasons. Sometimes we need to see a light at the end of a long tunnel. Goals help us measure successes incrementally, which pushes us onward. Often they discourage us and may be the cause of unnecessary delays.

Obstacles are scary when we allow them to override our vision – when we take our eyes off the targeted outcome. It’s these instances when we’re well-advised to take a deep breath, recalibrate, and navigate back to a positive track. Frequently, it helps if we have accountability partners who can help us discern where we lost the vision and assist in creating new avenues, maybe even new goals, to ensure our success.  

I recommend increasing our mental acuity in this manner. Sometimes, we need a counselor or coach to ask the tough questions, listen well, ask the right questions, and guide us back to an acceptable path. Other times we need a spiritual director to help us navigate faith issues and help us discover ways to find our way back to the Source. In both instances, there’s no shame in asking for help from trusted advisors. Often, it’s the most intelligent move we can make in regaining balance in our lives.

Here are a few thoughts from Scripture:

“For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 39:18 (NKJV)

You have to love Jeremiah. He never gave up. He didn’t allow his obstacles to keep him from the prize.

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”  Philippians 3:14 (MSG)

It’s comforting to know that if we hold tight to our goals and refrain from focusing on those frightening obstacles, we will accomplish what we set our minds to achieve. And sometimes, those challenges yield a more significant outcome than we imagine.

Have fun discovering ways to keep your eyes on the prize this week. Set your vision on the goals and then work to keep the scary challenges at arms’ length. Whether you’re contending with a mental health challenge or trying to find balance, I’ll bet you’re surprised at how beautiful those obstacles become.

Like the lovely waterfall in the picture above, let the natural flow refresh and strengthen you!

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda