If you have lived, you have encountered obstacles.
The Stoics recognised this as a fact of life and were wise to use it to their advantage. They acknowledged that there was an optimal way to approach challenges, and that through practice, they could be conquered.
It is within your power to do the same.
The influential leaders who were the first to develop this philosophy of action – Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and others – lived by two primary maxims…
Maxim 1: Perceive the world objectively
The number one mistake we make when faced with obstacles is taking them personally.
When we really think about it, our subjective interpretations of an externally occurring event is entirely unproductive. This is because many outside events are outside of our locus of control. They happen as a result of external forces that we likely had no part in.
What we do have control over is our internal events. We can mould and shape our subjective experience to accept the existence of particular barriers we face, and then proceed to decide with rationality what we ought to do about it.
Whether or not set-backs harm us is a choice we make independently. It is within our power to choose instead to perceive adversity as opportunities for growth or merely puzzles to solve.
“If you are troubled by external circumstances, it is not the circumstances that trouble you, but your own perception of them – and they are in your power to change at any time.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Maxim 2: Endure, even in the face of adversity
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Every challenge is a hidden opportunity.
Every obstacle holds the key to its own neutralisation.
When we encounter adversity, we are presented with the opportunity to learn and discover new things about the world, or about ourselves. We are also gifted the ability to gain experience and resilience so that the next set-back encountered will take half the time to disarm. Finally, struggle yields growth – growth towards our goals, our values, the life we truly wish to live, and the principles we wish to embody.
But these things can happen only if we allow them to.
The Stoic mindset is one that is practiced, refined, and cultivated through hard work and dedication. In this respect, it is no different from any other skill.
It is best to build up this habit in times of ease and relative tranquillity. If we can start to look at small problems as learning opportunities, we will be better equipped to tackle larger problems when they arise.
“What such a man needs is not courage but nerve control, cool-headedness. This he can get only by practice”.
– Theodore Roosevelt
So keep this in mind the next time a pebble, boulder, or mountain stops you in your path. It does not hate you, nor does it love you. And neither should you, it.
Simply look it square in the eyes, notice its existence objectively, and begin to make your way around it.
Footnote: The ideas in this piece were adapted from Marcus Aurelius’ work, Meditations. The work in its entirety can be accessed here, or a summarised version can be found here.