Triumphing Over Obstacles

It seems cliché to say that it’s always darkest before dawn. Ironically enough, as I travel through my spiritual path, it seems as if all the corny sayings are true. Have you ever heard of spiritual warfare? To paraphrase, it’s considered to be negative or evil forces sent to throw you off your path. For the more literal people out there, consider it as the obstacles that life throws your way when you’re working really hard for something.

That’s where I am today. In a space where, despite adversity, I’m using everything within me to remain positive and keep moving forward. I’m past the point of no return. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am to let a couple of hiccups stop me. The largest obstacle being patience.

As much as I advocate for “trusting the process” and “falling in love with the journey,” the reality is this road is a long one. When you’ve set your sights for the highest heights, creating goals for yourself that were once unimaginable, it becomes an adventure into a land of unknowns. The only compass being your inner guidance telling you what’s next. Initially, it can be terrifying. You’re forced to push your limitations and perceptions of reality.

You’ll find yourself doing things that seemed completely out of your league. The adrenaline from overcoming your fears and seeing yourself in new ways becomes a drug. One where you become addicted to becoming better every day, wanting to see just how far you can go and what can be accomplished. Terror has transformed into exhilaration, and there’s no way to go back to the person you once were.

Your perception begins to change, and you can now view situations from many perspectives. Understanding the importance of things like patience and knowing when to let go. Insecurities are traded in for self-love and acceptance. All of a sudden, the opinions and restrictions of society don’t matter as much. By now, you’ve hopefully found purpose and it seems as if everything around you has aligned perfectly to help you achieve your goals.

That is until trouble arises. All of a sudden, it seems as if obstacle after obstacle has been sent to deter you. It probably even seemed like you were right at the edge of a breakthrough, but now there’s a halt.

If you were about to invest a large sum of money? Send in the financial crisis that drains your bank account. Thought you found that perfect person that was your forever? Now it’s over with no possibility of reconciliation. Whatever it is for your life’s story, consider it the moment where right at the cusp of success you were sent back to square one.

How do you react? Do you give up? Forgetting everything it is that you were working towards. What about the personal progress you made along the way? Was that lost too, or has it just been hidden in the chaos of your circumstances? This is what I call spiritual warfare. The moments in life where it seems as if all is lost.

I used to view these as moments meant to break me. Instead of viewing them as a crossroads and defining moment, I’d see it as my sign to throw in the towel. I was under the impression that if whatever it was that I was working towards was for me then it’d be easy. Things would fall into place, and I’d ride off into the sunset.

Now, I’m beginning to view these times as tests of faith. Character-building moments where I’m forced to sit and reevaluate my circumstances. My first step is always to be realistic, acknowledging the importance and gravity of the situation. Sometimes, it’s a big deal that requires significant adjustments to resolve. But other times, it’s just a fact of life. Something that just happens and needs to be dealt with.

The next step is to make an action plan. I’ll ask important questions like, “Was any part of this situation beyond my control? What’s the best way to move forward while still considering my end goal? Is there anything I can do differently to prevent moments like these from happening in the future?”. From there, we move forward.

The most important thing is to remember that these seasons are temporary. Think about your favorite show or movie. Would it be as interesting if your main character never ran into any obstacles? The same situations that keep you on the edge of your seat. Wondering how they’re going to navigate through it. This is us in those moments.

Instead of seeing it as a time of lost hope, see it as a moment to double down. Whether that be staying true to your morals and principles, continuing to pursue your goals and life dreams, or cleaning up the messes of your past to create a new future, this is your show. Your opportunity to show yourself what you’re made of and why you’re worth making it to the finish line.