The Obstacle is Me. Good.

There’s a mindset I wrestled with this morning, and it begins with an old Stoic truth from Marcus Aurelius:

“You may block my path. You cannot touch my will.”

External obstacles, whether direct competition, resistance from others, or sheer circumstances, might impede our plans. But they don’t own our intentions. They don’t govern our attitude. And they don’t define the actions we take next.

I used to think “the obstacle” was always something out there.

Now, I know better.

A man on a quests encounters his largest obstacle, himself.

This morning, I realized the real obstacle is internal.

For example, I say I want to be a better listener. But I often dominate the conversation.

I say I want connection. But I then reach for the spotlight.

Is this my ego? Is it insecurity masquerading as confidence? Is it my own habits undermining my values-- my vision for the future? Maybe. What if this is true? Do I have reins on my own intentions? There is a hypothesis that lives here. There's a strategy to play with: My intentions are not aligned with my actions. I AM THE OBSTACLE. It’s not circumstance that blocks me. It’s me.

Good.

Why good? Because it means I can change it.

Jocko Willink has a viral video on this. The punchline is always the same:

Didn’t get the promotion? Good. More time to get better.

Didn’t get the plan approved? Good. We have more time to improve.

Here’s my addition:

You are the obstacle? Good. You are also the way.

If the thing in your path is you, then you’re exactly where you need to be.

You can choose silence over ego. Brevity over bravado. You can ask the better question.

That’s the mindset I’m choosing today.

Wherever I’m the bottle-neck: Good.

That means I have the power and the capability to move it.

Because real leadership starts with mastering yourself.

And self-mastery starts by telling the truth.

Let’s invert our excuses. Let’s align action with our intentions.