The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday Part 1

Topics:

Part 1 - Perception
Part 2 - Action
Part 3 - The Will

1. Perception:

- It’s how we see the reality of the world. We need to take our preconceived notions about reality and only rely on a disciplined, rational and logical thought process
- Problems that befall you, aren’t a negative situation, rather an opportunity to learn and how you handle those situations is what makes you grow as a person.
- Don’t lose control of your emotions, we can choose or not choose to feel

2. Recognize your power:
- Your negative emotions are nothing but destructive to your current situation.
- Situations cannot be good or bad, it’s only our human perceptions that judge it so. See every situation as to what they could be, not about the problems they bring

3. Steady your nerves
- Troubles will always find us and talent won’t necessarily get us through the problem. Poise and a level temper will get us through.
- Resist the temptation to declare this a failure and accept the fact that the solution is up to you and you’re the only one who’s responsible

4. Control your emotions
- We all make plans and when they don’t go as planned, we panic and throw them out the window - a fatal error
- Focus all your energy on fixing the problem and finding the solution. Worrying is an opportunity cost of your attention, you’re focusing on something other than the solution and maybe are blind to the solution
- We defeat emotions with logic, and we gain logic with questions

5. Practice objectivity:
- See simply what is there, no judgements, exaggerations, misperceptions, distractions.
- It's easy to give somebody else advice, because we lack the emotional baggage and subjectivity regarding the issue

6. Alter your perspective
- The goal is not to ignore fear, but to explain it away
- Our perspective sets the framework for our response to a situation. Perception precedes actions

7. Is it up to you?
- Focus your efforts on things you can control, the internal thoughts. Our emotions, creativity, determinations, decisions - this is our playing field, this is what we focus efforts on changing
- Instead of analysis and figuring out what things mean and why the thing are the way they are, you should just be getting to work
- Ignore the totality of the environment. Let each moment be a refresh in your brain, so you can live in moment and focus on what’s important

9. Think differently
- Don’t think of the impossible being impossible, you need to push through what other’s think of as a hard limitations, which are rooted in fear
- Have faith in your ability to overcome and unfair task, to test what they’re made of, rise to the occasion

10. Finding the opportunity
- Our own perceptions play a huge role in success, we need to avoid being overwhelmed by obstacles. Control emotions and analyze objectively
- We assume everything should be a certain way, and when they’re not, we assume we’re at a disadvantage
- Blessings and burdens are not mutually exclusive, think of any setback as having a ‘second act’ of opportunity. An immediate negative situation, the solution is packaged beneath the surface

11. Prepare to act
- Problems are as bad as we think. The worst thing to happen is the event AND how you think about it.
- Don’t attack the problem that’s in your way with a gambler’s mindset of defying the odds, but rather, know the dangers, have calculated the risks and have a strategy to win

Tune in next week, for part 2!

Thank you for listening.

Get a copy of The Obstacle is the way here:
http://a.co/hqHCf3T

Get audible: http://goo.gl/AjqkEB

Please subscribe and rate the Mindset Toolkit Podcast

Connect:

Website: https://mindsettoolkit.wordpress.com/

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mindset-toolkit-podcast/id1245200556?mt=2

Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selwynns/