Obstacles

I took a very long walk yesterday. I went out for a short walk which turned into an extremely long walk because I got very lost and it was very hot but I eventually found what I was looking for. How many times does that happen to you? How often do you want to do something, set out to do it, and it seems that everything in the universe is trying to stop you from achieving that goal? Sometimes, I think that when monumental obstacles confront you, it’s a good indicator that what you are seeking is worthwhile.

I used to regularly attend lectures from a very advanced teacher on the subject of mediation, Buddhism, siddhas and so forth. On a frequent basis we would attend lectures which would sometimes last until very late in the night. These lectures were some of the most shaping experiences of my life. I was not inclined to miss a single one, no matter how difficult it would be to attend.

On one particular evening, an evening which promised a very important lecture on a very important subject, I learned a lesson about perseverance. I had cleared my schedule for the event. I had rented a car to drive to the lecture. I had pressed my favourite shirt and put on my best suit, just to bring my best to this very important lecture. As we began driving to the lecture, it started to rain. I turned on the wipers.

The wipers on the rental car did not work. Human emotions didn’t respond well. We fought so dirty and nasty I have a mental block on the details of what happened. I do remember one detail, though. I remember my companion, completely enraged, saying these words: “If you want something bad enough, you can overcome any obstacle.” We got to the lecture; we were very late; the teacher was even later.

When we’re out there, in the world, doing our thing, striving for our goals, it’s very easy to become fatigued, irritable, demoralized, cortisol-infused disappointments to ourselves We see the obstacles as failures, we perceive the non-instant gratification as falling short of our goals. Our obstacles become annoyances instead of adventures.

If you want something, and it is truly worth pursuing, you can overcome any obstacle. If you can remember that, then all obstacles become goals on your way instead of annoyances in your way.