Not all obstacles are bad. In fact, an opportunity's favorite disguise is an obstacle. You will always meet obstacles on the road to your answer. The fight is good; it is proof that you haven't quit and are still alive.

No one is immune to problems. Even the lion has to fight off flies. The apostle Paul said it best when he wrote, "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed, and broken. We are perplexed because we don't know why things happen as they do, but we don't give up and quit. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going."

Being a diligent person does not remove you from the world and its problems; rather, it positions you to live in it productively and victoriously. Good news for you! In the midst of every trial, there is growth and promotion for you. Each challenge provides an opportunity to grow, not die.

Obstacles can temporarily detour you, but only you can make you stop. Your struggle may be lasting, but it is not everlasting. It's wrong to think that there's nothing more permanent than this temporary situation. Obstacles will reveal what you truly believe and who you really are. They introduce you to yourself. You will find out what you honestly believe in the face of a problem.

As I've traveled, I've always noticed that no matter how cloudy it is when a plane takes off, above the clouds the sun always shines. Look up! It's not the "out look" but the "up look" that counts.

Your life will be much more productive if you just understand that obstacles are a part of life. If you want your place in the sun, you'll have to expect some blisters. Studs Terkel said, "Face the music and someday you may lead the band." The difference between iron and steel is fire, but the fire-tried steel is worth it.

Source: Know Your Limits - Then Ignore Them by John Mason.
Excerpt permission granted by Insight Publishing Group