How to turn obstacles into opportunities
We face many obstacles in life. Some people turn those obstacles into opportunities and get what they want while others are unable to get. What is it in these people that allows them to thrive when met with obstacles? They know how to turn obstacles into opportunities or rather they see obstacles as opportunities and use them. Below are the ways these people do it:
- We are unable to control events in life but we can control our attitude and perception towards those events
These people are aware that there are things in life that they are unable to control. Additionally, they are mindful of what they can control, which is their attitude and perception. When faced with a obstacle that they have no control over, they alter their attitude and perception towards that obstacle. They detach themselves from the obstacle which allows them to look at the bigger picture. It is by looking at the bigger picture that they are aware of how to use the obstacle that they now see as an opportunity to their advantage.
Also, they display exceptional perseverance, they hold a strong belief in themselves and their abilities. It is as if no one, literally no one, can stop them from achieving what they want in life when they have set their mind to it.
- They focus on what they can do
These people also make use of the obstacle by focusing on what they can do. Take basketball for instance. If you want to be a basketball player it is best that you are tall but what happens when you are not that tall? Do you just give up on that dream because of something you can’t control? As mentioned above you got to alter your perspective and detach yourself from the obstacle. Height is something you can’t control so focus on what you can do. Head to the gym, start your workout and have the ability to jump really high, work on other skills that are extremely important in basketball. These are things that you can focus on, not sitting down and being upset over your height. You may think that you have hit the wall but in fact there is only a wall in front of you, in which you can decide how you want to go through it (by climbing over, drilling holes, punching it, kicking it, using a hammer etc).
- They face the “obstacle”
They do not hope that this obstacle goes away. They know there is an obstacle and they use it. They use it to their advantage.
My all time favorite human being that has been a source of inspiration is Bethany Hamilton. She’s a surfer and at the age of 13, she lost her left arm due to a shark attack. That did no stop that small girl, at that time, from surfing. She went back into the water after one month from the attack and within 2 years she won her first national title. She is now a professional surfer who is happily married and has a kid. You can read more about her on her page: http://bethanyhamilton.com/profile/. You can also watch the movie Soul Surfer which is based on her.
Having a shark attack is no joke. I do not know how she really handled her emotions but at such a young age she was adamant that she wants to head back into the water and surf. She loved what she did. At that time there was no opportunity, it was just her fighting for what she really loves doing and she went heads on. It definitely was not an easy journey for her but she did it. What she did was admirable, she believed in herself, she focused on what she could do, she faced the obstacle heads on. By doing this, without knowing that shark attack turned into an extra-ordinary opportunity. Maybe without that shark attack she would not be as adamant to be a surfer and would not unleash her true potential in life where just by merely being herself she inspires so many youths and people.
Every obstacle you face in your life is there as an opportunity. At times, we see that opportunity straight away but at other times we got to wait for some time to see it. Either ways it is there as an opportunity for you. However we are so used to seeing something that comes in the way of our goal as obstacles that we forget that they are indeed there for the betterment of us. In order to see that betterment we need to alter our perception, choose the attitude that brings us forward in life, focus on what we can control and embrace whatever is in front of you. You are the driver to your own life, don’t pass that responsibility to anyone else.
