It’s been one of those days where nothing has really gone according to plan. And that got me thinking about obstacles and how we react to them.

I often get the sense that when someone decides to embark on a path to personal growth, they think it’s going to be a walk in the park. You know the kind I mean … all nicely laid out paths, clear and obstacle free. No trees to climb over or rocks to scramble around. Granted, if you can maintain a “walk in the park” attitude while you’re ripping your life apart and remaking it, more power to ya! You are definitely more mentally strong than I am.

For myself, (and I suspect for a lot of people) the process of growing and changing comes with more trials and obstacles than we bargained for. The cool thing I’ve found, though, is that it’s in dealing with these obstacles that you experience the most growth. And how you deal with them really does go a long way to determining how successful you will be in making the changes that you want to make.

Obstacle number one to be dealt with is usually your own mind. The imagination can be a powerful thing when it comes to change. Your mind can either be your worst enemy or your best friend. Allowing the negative side to dominate and fill your conscious mind with thoughts of doubt and failure will have you creating obstacles and reasons to fail.

Along with the negative voices in your own mind, the negative voices of other people around you are also an obstacle to your success on the personal growth trail. The lack of support from friends and family members who are supposed to be supporting you in your dreams and goals can be a real downer. And ditching them is often easier said than done.

Another thing that needs to be ditched is the attachment to past failures. Negative events and memories from your past can become insurmountable obstacles to your future success if you let them. Learning to let go will be a great adventure in growth, but it is so worth it to release all that baggage and really let yourself be free.

So just how do you overcome these obstacles? And yes, they can all be overcome. That’s half the journey!

There are so many ways to get past these, and what works for me may not work for you. You can read books, listen to tapes, to to seminars, and try all the do-it-yourself personal development methods out there. You can also hire a life coach, or go to a therapist if that way suits you better.

Whatever tools you decide to use to overcome your obstacles, the first two steps I would suggest you take are to learn to develop a positive mindset for yourself, and to surround yourself with supportive people who share your goals and aspirations. Visualizing your own success will go a long way to making it a reality, and having a support network around you will give you the kick in the butt you’ll need to stay motivated when the going gets a little rough.

What do you do to help get you past the obstacles in your personal growth?

It’s been a good Christmas Day. That’s the first time I’ve been able to say that and mean it in about ten years. Up until now, I’ve spent so much time worrying about what we didn’t have that there was no enjoyment in the day at all. It was just another day of stress designed to remind me that I wasn’t as successful with my life as I wanted to be. I also realize now that I’ve always compared these Christmases to the ones we had when I was a child… when I didn’t have any responsibilities except to enjoy the day. And when I wasn’t doing that I was busy telling myself that next year things would be better. Not once in the last ten years did I just sit down and enjoy the day as it was for what it was. Until today.

There’s definitely something to this whole living in the moment thing. Having experienced it once, it’s a feeling I want more of in the coming year.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a need for looking forward, or looking back to some extent. Accepting each minute as it the gift that it is creates an amazing feeling of peace in the moment. But the historian in me still wants to remember and look at the past and dissect it to know what I can do better in the next moment. And the optimist in me still wants to look forward and plan for tomorrow so that all my future moments can be as amazing as this one.

The trick for me is going to be in finding a balance between remembering, planning, and doing. And remembering to enjoy it as it happens, not file it away under the “I’ll think about it tomorrow” category.

For today, I’ll enjoy the feeling of peace and accept this gift for what it was. Stress-free, worry-free days don’t come often enough for me. My path isn’t that smooth just yet. But I’m getting there, and for that I’m very thankful.

My Holiday wish for you, no matter which one you celebrate or not, is that you have all the joy, peace, and happiness that your heart can hold now and always.

Here’s to dreams coming true,

Happy Holidays,
Lena