Review by Myra Salzer
How could I not read this book?! Right there on the outside cover is a quote from Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art and Gates of Fire: “Follow these precepts and you will revolutionize your life. Read this book!” And the book is written by Ryan Holiday, co-author of the book I give away more than any other: The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance and The Art of Living. And several people whom I admire suggested it to me.
While the title says it all, essentially, having example after example reinforced my confidence in taking risks and accepting failures as part of the process of learning and growing. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” And this may be poignantly true of many inheritors: “Great times are softeners.”
I particularly appreciate how the book reminds the reader that obstacles are only obstacles if that’s how we perceive them. “We choose how we’ll look at things. We retain the ability to inject perspective into a situation. We can’t change the obstacles themselves – that part of the equation is set – but the power of perspective can change how the obstacles appear.”
Recently, a valued colleague decided to leave the firm with very little notice. This created a big potential gap in our ability to serve our clients. Before reading this book, I might have reacted by catastrophizing and wallowing and ruminating and worrying. Fortunately, I had just finished the book and was immediately able to kick solutions into gear, all of which manifested beautifully. With these solutions, not only will we be better equipped to service clients going forward, but we will also be a stronger firm with more cross training and expertise, not to mention with more ability to grow. A beautiful outcome to a potentially debilitating obstacle.
The book is divided into three parts: perception, action, and will. Stoic philosophy and practical action plan are combined into this user-friendly, highly motivating book I would recommend to anybody who ever, ever, ever experiences obstacles in their life.