“We all have different barriers, different obstacles that we have to go through.” ~ Anthony Robles
I am a person who listens closely to the words people use and the words people choose when communicating. In many cases, I take these words very literally. This quote is example of my approach.
“We all have different barriers that we have to go through.” These are not things we have to deal with or respond to. These are barriers that we have to “go through.” There are things that we deal with in our lives on a regular basis and we do “go through” these experiences. However, in this case he is referencing going through barriers, where these barriers are an obstacle, not an experience. When faced with an obstacle, we have two choices, go through it or try to go around it. In this situation, Robles is encouraging us to recognize that we go through our obstacles and our barriers.
Over lunch with a friend, we were talking about life’s experiences. We both concluded that there really is no moment in life where we aren’t dealing with something. Some of the issues we are dealing with are monsters, game changers; while others are just life’s little challenges that keep us sharp and on our toes. Keeping things in perspective keeps us balanced and provides the ability to focus on the critical issues when they arise because we know the difference. Not everything is a big deal, not problem is a crisis, and not every issue is a game changing, life altering challenge. Knowing and recognizing the ones that are, will enable you to focus on them with the right level of energy to go through the barrier. When we view everything as a barrier, we start banging our heads on the wall because we don’t know the difference and waste valuable time and energy on insignificant chatter.
Keep everything in perspective. You will have challenges and issues. There will be clearcut barriers and obstacles that you need to deal with. The first task is to recognize and understand the difference between and obstacle and a speedbump. The next task is to relax and realize this is not something that has occurred to prevent you from getting where you intend to be. Rather, this is an opportunity to discover a path through the obstacle that will make you smarter, stronger, and more confident with each subsequent challenge. Finally, trust and believe in your ability to discover a way through this obstacle. Doubt is a great momentum killer. In order to be stronger than the barrier, your belief in yourself — your mission, passion, purpose, and unique abilities—has to be fundamentally solid. We all go through different barriers and obstacles every day – the key to getting through them is based on our focus, our commitment, and our confidence. Go ahead, bust through the next barrier and enjoy the experience!
