“You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals.”
~Booker T. Washington

It would be nice if it were always easy to reach our goals. It would be great if nothing stood in our way, and if we accomplished what we set out to do without a hitch – without hard work, extra effort, or obstacles in our path.

It would be nice, but it’s not always true. In fact, most often, it’s not true.

I’ve learned that many times it’s the obstacles we’ve had to overcome that not only make our accomplishments sweeter and more important, but also teach us many lessons and offer us ways to grow. It’s by stretching beyond barriers that we strengthen our muscles, and our resolve. It’s by conquering difficulties that we realize the reserves we have with which to conquer and succeed. It’s by moving past stumbling blocks that we realize our fortitude and resilience.

I’m not wishing us impediments and drawbacks. I do wish us an easy, fun path. But obstacles will come our way. When we realize that we will learn and grow from them, and that they’ll make our accomplishments more gratifying in the long run, we resist and fight against them less. And the less resistance we put up, the easier they often are to move through. And again, the sweeter our goals will be in the end.

What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are?
Click here to comment.

If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.


For support in overcoming the stones in your path, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.

Click here to receive The Thoughtful Leaders™ Blog posts via e-mail and receive a copy of “Ending Leadership Frenzy: 5 Steps to Becoming a More Thoughtful and Effective Leader.”

Photo Credit: soupstock/Bigstock.com

New York: 212.537.6897 | Pennsylvania: 610.254.0244