I recently finished reading The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. After reading, Ego is the Enemy, I was inspired to read more by Holiday for greater personal improvement and growth. I believe that these types of books are extremely powerful for your success, because they influence your mindset, which can be leveraged endlessly.

The Obstacle is the Way highlights the importance of doing the hard stuff, seeing obstacles not as barriers but as opportunities for growth and breakthrough . The book is divided into three parts: Perception, Action and Will. Each section addresses the three phases of approaching life’s numerous obstacles and highlights various examples of leaders in history who had insurmountable problems and challenges to overcome, what they did and how we could do the same.

One example from the book was when aviator James Stockdale parachuted from his shot-down plane in Vietnam during the Vietnam War where he would be a prisoner of war for 7 years. He had to shift his mindset while parachuting from the plane. Things would never be the same. While imprisoned, he maintained his leadership to keep his soldiers strong and focussed. He was tortured and abused for seven years but knew he had a purpose through the difficult time. He found meaning in his suffering. How great an example for us when we face difficult challenges!

As as real estate investor, I am constantly running into obstacles: not enough funds for the next opportunity, unplanned operating expenses and managing property managers, but Ryan Holidays the Obstacle is the Way is a reminder to not just survive the obstacles, but learn to love and appreciate them.

The obstacle is the way.