Key insights from
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
What you'll learn
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor with a lot on his plate: plagues, betrayals, invaders—there was never a dull moment. But Aurelius never expected a life of ease and never allowed the challenges he faced, however formidable, to get the last word. One of his reflections, written with the pithy succinctness one might expect from a Stoic, shows us the key to Aurelius’ success and the success of many others in history:
The impediment to action advances action.
What stands in the way becomes the way.
It was not in spite of but because of life’s obstacles that Aurelius achieved so much. Ryan Holiday argues that these principles transcend epoch and culture and are waiting in the wings for anyone to activate.
Key insights
- • What you'll learn
- 1 Most people crumble in the face of adversity because they’ve never been given a blueprint for overcoming.
- 2 No one can ever take your power to reframe your situation—but you can surrender it yourself.
- 3 People are much less afraid of calamity than losing their heads in the midst of the calamity.
- 4 You can’t run, hide, or procrastinate in the face of obstacles forever—you must learn to act rightly.
- 5 Right thinking and right action over time strengthen the will to withstand setbacks.
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