Obstacles as Opportunities

We don’t look for obstacles; they find us. They are inherent in La condition humaine. Some lie outside ourselves in the real world, like a detour on a highway that takes us five miles off our designated route. Many obstacles are mind-made, created by us with a spontaneity akin to the heart beat. We psychotherapists often say or think to ourselves: “More grist for the mill.” We anticipate that benefits will emerge from dealing with these matters. I propose taking the point a step further to consider if obstacles and opportunities can be compared to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For each action (obstacle) there is an equal and opposite reaction (opportunity).

For example, as a young man in Germany, Viktor Frankl was tortured with fellow prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp. He realized that through sheer mental power, he could lift himself above the horror through the spirit of love. He became a psychiatrist and founded the school of logotherapy-a theory based on the belief that human nature is motivated by the search for a purpose.

When I encounter an obstacle I think of Frankl and by comparison mine is, not surprisingly, infinitesimal. Here’s an example of obstacle followed by an opportunity: I imagine holding a dinner party. I become anxious. I explore the roots of my anxiety. My house is cluttered. I’ll de-clutter. Great. I’ve found a way to diminish my anxiety and increase the comfort of my home.

We can’t measure forces in a psychological field but I think this question provides food for thought.

Conclusion: We can look upon obstacles with the potential to offer opportunities to improve our lives, whether they are created by our minds or extant in the world.

Dear Reader, Please offer your experiences and opinions. Jsimon145@gmail.com