Obstacles: What Are They, Anyway?

 

When you think about obstacles, you may think about items, things, or people that obstruct, hinder, delay, frustrate, or even stop you. You may even believe that you have to jump over, go around, go under, or knock down obstacles. Obstacles can cause fear, terror, panic, depression, shock, despair, hopelessness, dejection, and misery.

According the Merriam Webster Dictionary the very definition of obstacle means obstruction, impediment, barrier, blockage, problem, difficulty, hindrance, or complication. We all seem to see obstacles in the same light: something we want to avoid.

Despite our desire to escape them, we all are faced with obstacles each day of our lives. Considering the definition of obstacles, it seems impossible for us to even consider that an obstacle could be a blessing. I certainly didn’t see any as blessings in my youth. At an early age, I was faced with many obstacles that terrified me, devastated me, and caused great sorrow. The difficulties of obstacles can indeed cause all that I have mentioned above and more. The feelings of depression, loneliness, abandonment, and even guilt that come from dealing with obstacles can change our lives and make it difficult for us to move forward.

How you move from one obstacle to the next depends on what you believe and what you hold to be true. You can choose to sit back and feel sorry for yourself and become self-destructive, or you can decide to move forward with hope, faith, and determination. You must have the strength of mind that you will not give up and then determine in your heart and mind that you will make it through by the grace of God, that by His strength, you will pull yourself up and move forward with life. Many times, when we go through problems, we become angry, withdrawn, displaced, and depressed. We would rather run away or just not deal with the issues. Some of the obstacles that we are faced with can even devastate or destroy us.

Obstacles can come in the form of violence, divorce, death, incest, molestation, rape, unexpected pregnancy, illness, broken relationships, loss of home, loss of job, and many other forms. In short, they are anything that causes that bump in the road, that lump in the throat, that pressure in the head, and that churn in the stomach. These are feelings of uncertainty that cause us to question how we will make it to the next day and who is in control. They are the source that causes our thinking to alter, emotions to waver, and feelings to fade.

“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.” Booker T. Washington

Continued Blessings,

Darlene

Excerpt from Darlene’s Book “Overcoming The Obstacles, Releasing The Winner in You,” Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises. Available at www.Amazon.com , http://www.barnesandnoble.com and through bookstores nationwide.

About Darlene Hunter

Darlene Hunter, (www.darlenehunter.com), is president of Darlene Hunter & Associates, LLC, a motivational / inspirational speaker, author, life and business coach, and award-winning radio talk show host. Her new book, “Win-Ability, Navigating through Life’s Challenges with a Winning Attitude,” is her fourth on the theme of perseverance. She is the host of “The Darlene Hunter Show”, winner of the Fishbowl Radio Network 2013 Distance Show Of The Year Award. Hunter has been a top performer in management for more than 30 years.

Making Mistakes – A Guide to Becoming a Better You!

MAKING MISTAKES

 

Mistakes are those things that happen in our lives on a daily basis. We make wrong decisions, wrong choices and misunderstand the purpose,  intention or direction that has been given or shared, but making mistakes does not mean that the game is over.  Consider a sports team, rather it’s football, baseball, basket ball, tennis or hockey, many mistakes have been made in all of these games that ended with a miraculous positive outcome that resulted in a win. 

 

When you look back over your life, you will discover that you have also made many mistakes, as I have, only to see that you have also won in so many ways. You have gained knowledge and insight and in some instances you have become stronger, wiser, and more determined than ever to press forward and finish the course. Making a mistake does not disqualify you, it does not eliminate you, it does not change the plan and purpose for your life. God has a perfect plan for your life. You were not a mistake and He will not turn His back on you because you simply made a mistake. 

 

Ok…so you had a baby out of wedlock, you were caught with drugs, you failed out of college, you were fired from your job, you cheated in a relationship, you didn’t tell the truth about a situation and you just made wrong choices.  It’s not over! What did you learn?  What will you do differently? How have you changed? 

 

As we enter into 2013 I believe that it is critical that we all understand that we have made mistakes in our life and we will continue to make mistakes, but it’s what you do with them and how you move through them that makes the difference. 

 

Making mistakes can be a guide to becoming a better you. Like a handbook or an instruction guide they can teach and help you not to make the same mistake again, but if you do…do not allow your mistakes to keep you down.  Use them as a catalyst to propel you to go forward and become the winner that you were designed to be.  

 

Use Mistakes to…

M – MOVE FORWARD

I –  IDENTIFY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT

S – SOAR TO YOUR NEXT STAGE

T – TAKE ACTION

A – ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WENT WRONG

K – KEEP PUSHING AHEAD

E – EVALUATE THE SITUATION

S – SURRENDER YOUR WILL

 

Darlene