There’s a part of me that thinks, “I don’t want any obstacles in life.” I’d like everything that I do and face to be easy, and everything that I want to immediately be given. In fact, I’d like to just skip along and have everything magically appear, thank you very much.

But I think the gift from All-That-Is (God, the Universe, Source Energy, Higher Coach—whatever works for you) is that life doesn’t always work that way.

The bigger part of us wants challenges and obstacles because that’s what makes life interesting, and gives it texture and interest. If everything was too easy, it would get pretty darn boring and we might start poking things with a stick to see if we could stir up some trouble.

I’m learning to embrace the blocks or challenges that I encounter as the opportunities they truly are to make the journey to fulfillment more fun and interesting! It’s the journey where life is happening, not the destination or the goal achieved.

Think of it like a chess game or tennis match. If you’re a really good player, it’s not very much fun to play with people who are less skilled than you. Really good players seek out players who are even better than they are so that they continue to learn, grow, and evolve. The exhilaration is in the challenge of the game, and the reach to learn and Be just a bit better.

But the problems and obstacles of life can sure get our attention. They distract us from the beauty of the path we‘re walking and the really wonderful things that are all around us. We kind of glance around and acknowledge that there are bunnies, butterflies, and sunsets. We sort of see the flowers and feel the gentle breezes on our cheeks, but mostly we try to get everyone else to focus on this horrendous problem we are facing and how horrible it is that we have to deal with it.

Even little problems can distract us. In yesterday’s blog I wrote about dropping a grooming table on my foot the night before. The fabulous news is that it’s healing amazingly quickly. Really, it’s pretty miraculous just how quickly and effectively my body is dealing with this little injury.

Interestingly, I woke up this morning way more focused on what I can’t do, rather than what I can. I had to consciously shift my mindset away from not being able to work out and engage in my normal routine for a couple of days, and instead focus on the peace of the morning, how sweet it was to have all four of our pets circled around me, and how nice it is that I get to have a bit of lie-in for a few days. Those are gifts that I can fully enjoy, or I can miss because of being focused on the problem rather than the opportunity.

Where are you more focused on the problem or obstacle you are facing, rather than the opportunities being presented? How could shifting your mindset and focus change the experience? What difference does that make to how much you’re enjoying the journey?

Together we can do it!

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