"The impediment to action, advances action. What stands in the way, becomes the way. " - Marcus AureliusThe line Marcus reminds himself of when facing an obstacle, it is also what inspired The Obstacle is the Way, by Ryan Holiday.

Inspiration

As a discipline, it’s not any kind of action that will do, but directed action. Step by step, action by action, we can dismantle the obstacles in front of us. With persistence and flexibility, we can act in the best interest of our goals. Action requires courage, not brashness—creative application and not brute force. Our movements and decisions define us: We must be sure to act with deliberation, boldness, and persistence. Those are the attributes of right and effective action. Nothing else—not thinking or evasion or aid from others. Action is the solution and the cure to our predicaments.

The Discipline of ACTION

" A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it."

Mastering these three disciplines are the tools to flip any obstacle upside down. Learning how to see opportunity in the darkest of places. We are able to direct our actions with energy and persistence.In short, we can:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">See things for what they are</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Do what we can</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Endure and bear what we must</li></ul>

The Obstacle Is The Way

Perception is how we see and understand what occurs around us—and what we decide those events will mean. To prevent becoming overwhelmed by the world around us, we must, as the ancients practiced, learn how to limit our passions and their control over our lives. We will see things simply and straightforwardly, as they truly are—neither good nor bad. Learning how to only see with our observing eye: only seeing what is there and not adding our own interpretations. Shifting our perspective and seeing things objectively as supposed to our subjective understanding.

The Discipline of PERCEPTION

" A good person dyes events with his own color…and turns whatever happens to his own benefit."

" It is not things that upset us, but our judgement about those things."

If action is what we do when we still have some agency over our situation, the will is what we depend on when agency has all but disappeared. Placed in some situation that seems unchangeable and undeniably negative, we can turn it into a learning experience, a humbling experienceWe must prepare for adversity and turmoil, we must learn the art of acquiescence and practice cheerfulness even in dark times. True will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility; the other kind of will is weakness disguised by bluster and ambition. See which lasts longer under the hardest of obstacles.

The Discipline of the WILL

"The book is inspired and rooted in the practical philosophy of Stoicism, but it does not explicitly make it about the philosophy." - Ryan HolidayThe obstacle is the way is the modern take of ancient stoic philosophy. Leveraging the wisdom of the Stoics, Holiday explains how we can deliberately improve the way we perceive the world and find the opportunities in the obstacles we face.

About The Book:

<ol><li>The Discipline of PERCEPTION</li><li> The Discipline of ACTION</li><li>The Discipline of the WILL</li></ol>

3 Takeaway Lessons From The Obstacle Is the Way:

#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller The Obstacle is the Way has become a cult classic, beloved by men and women around the world who apply its wisdom to become more successful at whatever they do. Its many fans include a former governor and movie star (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a hip hop icon (LL Cool J), an Irish tennis pro (James McGee), an NBC sportscaster (Michele Tafoya), and the coaches and players of winning teams like the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Cubs, and University of Texas men’s basketball team. The book draws its inspiration from stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. Stoics focus on the things they can control, let go of everything else, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better, stronger, tougher. As Marcus Aurelius put it nearly 2000 years ago: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Ryan Holiday shows us how some of the most successful people in history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—have applied stoicism to overcome difficult or even impossible situations. Their embrace of these principles ultimately mattered more than their natural intelligence, talents, or luck. If you’re feeling frustrated, demoralized, or stuck in a rut, this book can help you turn your problems into your biggest advantages. And along the way it will inspire you with dozens of true stories of the greats from every age and era.

books

Books

#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller The Obstacle is the Way has become a cult classic, beloved by men and women around the world who apply its wisdom to become more successful at whatever they do. Its many fans include a former governor and movie star (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a hip hop icon (LL Cool J), an Irish tennis pro (James McGee), an NBC sportscaster (Michele Tafoya), and the coaches and players of winning teams like the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Cubs, and University of Texas men’s basketball team. The book draws its inspiration from stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. Stoics focus on the things they can control, let go of everything else, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better, stronger, tougher. As Marcus Aurelius put it nearly 2000 years ago: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”  Ryan Holiday shows us how some of the most successful people in history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—have applied stoicism to overcome difficult or even impossible situations. Their embrace of these principles ultimately mattered more than their natural intelligence, talents, or luck. If you’re feeling frustrated, demoralized, or stuck in a rut, this book can help you turn your problems into your biggest advantages. And along the way it will inspire you with dozens of true stories of the greats from every age and era.

Ryan Holiday is media strategist for notorious clients like Tucker Max and Dov Charney. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under the strategist Robert Greene, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. He is the Director of Marketing at American Apparel, where his work in advertising was internationally known. His strategies are used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google, and have been written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker, and Fast Company. He is the author is *Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator*, which is due out in July. He currently lives in New Orleans, with his rebellious puppy, Hanno.

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MARCUS AURELIUS

The obstacle is the way