You know how when successful entrepreneurs are faced with adversity and challenges they just keep grinding it out? You know how they accept things for what they are instead of wishing things were different? And, you know how they control their emotions instead of letting their emotions control them? Yeah, there is a name for that mindset, stoicism, and that is the focus of one of my favorite books--The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday.
The Obstacle is the Way is a short, inspiring book packed with stories describing how famous leaders and entrepreneurs achieved success by pragmatic action in the face of overwhelming odds. It is also a book about an ancient philosophy that is amazingly relevant to anyone facing adversity, and who isn't?
This book was written by an entrepreneur for entrepreneurs. Holiday packs the book with practical business advice and helps the reader craft a mindset of resilience, perseverance, and grit. One of the ways he does this is by helping the reader put obstacles into perspective. For example, most of us aren't faced with the kind of obstacles faced by General Eisenhower, President Lincoln, or Marcus Aurelius but reading their stories puts our everyday business and home-life challenges in perspective and makes them seem more surmountable.
This is important because perception, actually misperception, is the root cause of much of the suffering in the world. Holiday shows the reader how to leverage the observational part of our brains instead of the perceptive part. This alone makes the book worth the read!
Business people at any level will find The Obstacle is the Way helpful, but it's particularly relevant to entrepreneurs, visionaries, executive leaders, and business owners. Spend some a couple of hours with the book. It will make a positive impact on your journey
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