It’s not the rocks in the road, rather what we do with them which makes a tremendous difference in our lives. Obstacles impede some people while they empower others. We can see rocks in the road as barriers to avoid or as opportunities to grasp. When we use the stones in our path as building blocks rather than hindrances. We can ascend rather than descend.
It’s common to believe the difficulties of life inhibit our progress. Yet we see people who achieve great things in life are those who have encountered many rocks in the road and have been able to use them to build, rather than fall under their weight.
When we reflect on our own life, the moments of which we are proudest tend to be those when we encountered and overcame challenge.
What are the stories our parents and grandparents tell?
Are they tales of comfort and convenience?
Or, of trial and tribulation?
The only time we truly have no obstacles is after we are dead. Each living thing must overcome adversity. It could be the need for more water, more sun, more nutrients, or more food. Something is always necessary and it’s the same for every living being. In some way, shape or form we must all move and shake in order to rise and fly.
Think for a moment of all the obstacles you have faced in your life. Some surely have been relatively easy, others particularly difficult. Some have been resolved, others are unresolved. Regardless, we rise with the dawn of each day and to continue to fight in our own way. The days, months and years slip through our fingers and somehow we continue despite all the rocks we encounter in the road.
There are only two alternatives for any challenge we currently face; we will resolve it satisfactorily or not. There is no other option. If we can use our marvelous mind to work it out to our satisfaction, then hallelujah. If not, we need to somehow adjust to the circumstances and carry on.
When we begin to see rocks in the road as an opportunity to get up and go, we can rise and continue. rocks in the road can inhibit or inspire. Each time we trip and fall, we determine our direction and build our character. Facing challenge is a sign we are truly alive. To achieve what we desire is not always easy, though it surely need not be so complex. Stone by stone, we can construct a stairway to heaven rather than to grovel on the ground.
∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 43