THE CONCEPT OF SUCCESS - The in and out of obstacles

Lexically, the word obstacle according to the fourth edition of the Oxford advance learners dictionary, like other dictionaries is; “anything in the way that either stops progress or makes it difficult.”

This definition is a classic example of the statement made in previous chapters about our philosophers and writers being interested in the theorical and linguistic ways of presenting issues rather than giving it a clearer picture by way of practical analysis. For the sake of arguments, let’s say obstacles really stop you from getting something. Then comes the question, does that mean successful men and women never came into contact with obstacles? As a matter of fact, it is the successful men and women who at one point in their life came into contact with very fierce and challenging obstacles. The closer you are to your aims in life, the bigger the obstacle attached to them. The only part of the definition worth considering is the word “difficulty” of which is not solid enough for a conclusion. Indeed nothing good comes easy. If we deem success as a good thing and as the best thing in life, if we deem success as an obligation or a moral and social responsibility, then it would be very normal for one to say that it cannot be attained on a silver platter. So then what is an obstacle? How do we identify it and how do we handle it when we come into contact with it.

First and foremost, every successful man or woman will clearly tell you that obstacles do not exist at all. In an illustration to broaden our horizon on what obstacles really are; when you are walking to school then you are faced with a heavy traffic jam which is likely to delay or prevent you from going to school on that very day. What do you do? Do you look for other means of transport to get you to school or you quit going to school because of traffic jam? When you consider other alternatives like taking a walk, then there was no obstacle. But if you fail to make it to school, then the traffic jam became an obstacle. There are no specific or laid down incidences classified as obstacles. It is your decision in life that brings them into being. What you consider as obstacles might be nothing in the eyes of the third person. That is why on that day, despite the traffic jam some will still make it to school and on time.

So based on that, we can say that; “obstacles are the inability to take the right decisions in times of inconveniencies.”- Yes, inconveniencies. That is what we mistakenly substitute for obstacle. So as you read this statement, you should know that your current situation is not as a result of your family, your financial status, your physical disability but rather your own inability to take the right decision in times of difficulty; that is what is preventing you from reaching that status, that prestige and honor you deserve. Take the right decision in times of trouble and you will never know an obstacle. The things that we always term as obstacles are rather inconveniencies and as for that, they are a part of life. Indeed there is no comfort in life. Life on earth is like a work place, there is no rest, but rather it’s just a few minutes break. That few minutes break is what we are all struggling for. Don’t ever judge peoples condition by first sight. No matter the strength, power or wealth that someone has, he or she will continue to encounter-inconveniencies. The rich man that you look up to might have a sickle cell child who gives him sleepless nights; the musician that you admire so much might be a drug addict who needs help. In order for one to have peace, he or she must be able overcome his or her inconveniencies. He or she should possess the capability of overcoming all obstacles. If you my dear reader is like that, then that is one thing that you can be proud of.

Sometimes, obstacles might not necessarily poses its usual features that we know of. It can be in a form of a simple destruction. Destruction is a form of obstacle that does not prevent you from achieving an objective by the usual forceful means but rather, lures you into making unintended changes in your priorities. Meaning, that destruction attracts you to them as a way of repelling you from your set goals or targets. I was told of a sad story by one of my audience after delivering a lecture on issues related to obstacles and destructions.

There was a businessman named Johnny Phish who had a very important business appointment with his partners in Boston in the U.S.A. his flight from California was scheduled at 10:00 am. As a time conscious businessman time was very important to him. So therefore, he was able to make to the airport by half past nine. While waiting for flight 323 to Boston, he saw a strange machine with an inscription ‘I can tell you who you are’ boldly written on it. Upon his enquiries, he realized that by putting 50 cents, the machine could tell you all about you. He decided to try it. He placed 50 cents in the slot and this was what the machine read ‘Your name is Johnny Phish and you are waiting for flight 323 to Boston’ he was shocked and so amazed at what he just saw. That was he first time going to Boston and the machine can say this about him? Awesome he said. So he tried one more time by putting 50 cents again, and as usual, the machine read ‘Your name is Johnny Phish and you are waiting for flight 323 to Boston’ he was excited and amazed so he kept trying till he run out of coins. So he went out of the airport for more coins. When he came back, he inserted 50 cents into the machine as usual and this time the machine read ‘Your name is Johnny Phish and you just missed flight 323 to Boston’ then he quickly checked his time and it was half past ten. He tried all he could to catch the flight but to no avail. In order to remind him never to repeat such a mistake, he wrote boldly behind his door and he reads it each time he is about to leave the house and since then, he has always stacked to the goal;

‘Always set your priorities first in your schedule. If you fail to do that, other peoples priorities will find their way in to your schedule.’

The point of note to us here is, the machine did not force him in anyway but became one of his greatest obstacles he will never forget. Note also that not all obstacles come with a red flag on them, in fact, the dangerous ones don’t.

As for the inevitability of obstacles, better understanding of previous explanations shows clearly that obstacles can clearly be avoided. This is because the obstacles itself does not exist on its own but is a derived product of inconveniencies in life. It is the inconveniencies that latter generate into obstacles. In relation to the earlier explanation given; when you do not go to school on a particular day due to a traffic jam somewhere means that the traffic jam has become an obstacle for your going to school on that day. But on the other hand, if you are still able to make it school despite the traffic jam, then there was no obstacle, but rather a difficulty or inconveniency to your going to school on that day. This is how you overcome obstacles; that is how you move towards success in life. Overcoming them daily strengthens you, makes you stronger and you develop an anti-body to that particular obstacle and its related ones. For example, experiencing a loss in one’s business is an inconveniency- but being able to overcome that makes you well equipped with the necessary ideas and the technical know-how that will make you much more courageous to take more business risks to improve one’s business. If there is another loss along the line, the experience of the first one automatically fights it for you.

Inconveniencies on the other hand are inevitable. They are sometimes biological, physical and psychologically inherited or acquired accidentally. A very nice young lady by nature is faced with a biological inconveniency of being born blind. What did she do wrong? One may ask; but that is to say the inevitability of inconveniencies. A very important point to note is that biological inconveniencies when not handled with care can be one of the most deadly obstacles in life one can ever imagine. It is sometimes very disheartening to grow up seeing how physically or mentally abnormal you are compared to the masses of people. As a result, some people can end up on the streets as prostitutes, armed robbers and so on. This is when the huge power of society begins to work.