The Obstacle is the Way: Powerful Lessons from Ryan Holiday

Looking for guidance on navigating life's challenges? Watch this video for a book summary of "The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday and learn about stoicism from Marcus Aurelius.

Ever feel like you're constantly running into walls on your path to success? Well, I'm here to tell you that those barriers aren't just obstacles; they're the very route to your dreams. Join me, Fabio from Journey to Success, as we delve into Ryan Holiday's impactful principles from "The Obstacle Is the Way," and learn how to leverage adversity to your advantage. I'll take you through the essential disciplines that can reshape your journey: perception, action, and will. You'll discover why the size of the problem doesn't matter as much as your view of it, and how a positive outlook can transform challenges into actionable steps forward. Plus, I'll share a personal anecdote that exemplifies the power of focusing on the big picture, proving that even my "broken English" can't hinder the mission to empower you with knowledge.

In the second chapter, we zoom in on the discipline of action, drawing inspiration from the legendary Charlie Chaplin and his incredible persistence. Imagine taking 342 takes to perfect a single scene; that's the kind of dedication we're talking about here. This episode isn't just a rundown of theories; it's an arsenal of strategies fortified with real-world examples, all aimed at bolstering your resolve to overcome hurdles. Whether you're a fan of Holiday's work or hearing about these concepts for the first time, this discussion is tailored to motivate and guide you through any challenge. Prepare to transform your approach to obstacles and kindle that fire within to relentlessly chase after your goals.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:27

Hi guys, my name is Fabio from Journey to Success, and welcome. Today we're going to talk about this new book. So the name of the book is the obstacle is the way from Ryan Holiday, and the Ryan is going to explain to us how to reach your success, your dreams, through obstacles, right? So you have to consider that obstacles are an important asset to reach your dream. Let's start. Okay, here we're going to discuss three important keys, three important key notes. So the first key is the discipline of perception. The second key is the discipline of action, and then the discipline of the wheel, and let's start properly. So the discipline of perception. All problems are the same. What matters is your perception. So the question is not the problem itself. So it's not be focused on the problem itself. It's more like how you can deal with that problem. Okay, because once you can deal with the problem, then, consequently, you can learn from it and you can go forward. Here are three steps that you can follow. So the first step is understand the challenge. So understand the type of problem. Okay, the second point is your reaction. So your reaction is positive or negative? Has to be positive reaction, because only through a positive reaction the situation is going to lead you to positive action. And the third point is, in fact, your action. So your action is going to be positive because of your positive reaction and then, through all of this, you're going to deal with the challenge or going to deal with the problem. Okay, so very, very nice, very, very important concept, and what you have also to understand is to be focused on what's important for you. In this case, ryan advised to be focused on a big picture. Okay, I'm going to make a personal example so you can understand better In my case, my personal case. So I am focused on the big picture, and the big picture for me is share value in a way that you can learn how to achieve your success and how to achieve your dreams. Okay, I mean, that's the big picture, that's it. Then it doesn't matter if, during my way, I Share this value with my broken English, I don't care how, how I look, how I talk. Okay, my big picture, the big vision that I have for you, is explain to you how To reach a certain success, a certain dreams. Also because in my past, I had some regret right now not anymore, but I had some regret. I didn't achieve whatever I want to achieve, and I don't want the same for you. We are beautiful human beings, we are miracle and, as a miracle, aware in this, this ground, to To learn and achieve whatever we want to talk to achieve. Okay, so this is all. This concept has been explained.

Speaker 1: 4:34

The book and is within this first key. And the first key note, I repeat, is the discipline of, of perception. Then we have the discipline of action. So there was a different example on a different example, so on on the book itself, but I would like to be focused on my per, on a personal one. It's not On, it's not my personal, but I had this idea to show with you something that happened in the Cinema environment. Right, I'm talking about the takes. You know, take one action, take two action.

Speaker 1: 5:17

So I read that Charlie Chaplin, in a certain scene, he took 342 takes to reach a certain Way to, to act in that scene. All right, so just can you imagine like, take one action, no, no, it's not right. Take two action, no, no, I didn't do good this time. So take 50, 51, 100, 150, 342. It's a lot, it's a lot, is it honestly? Hmm, I mean, it's, it's right, it's enough, it's enough to understand if you Need more time to reach a certain goal, so maybe it's not that much for him at least there wasn't that much but was the right Take to, you know, to reach a certain goal that was Acting in a certain way in in a particular scene.

Speaker 1: 6:30

What I mean with this is that we live in a world right now where everything looks perfect, right, because they deliver us everything in so such A perfect way, or that's what looks like. Everything looks like, you know, like a good present, a good gift. It doesn't work like that. You have to work, yet to work for it. You know. So if one day you're gonna see that super good actor and that acts so much good, and the same for the singer is the same for some past inventor, the same for that brilliant student yes, of course there are talent people in this world, but you also have to understand that most of them Took time to reach that goal. Okay, took time, progress and the learn, the fell a lot before to reach that's that success, that goal. That dream is just that.

Speaker 1: 7:40

Right now is a say that we live in a world where everything is super, it's baked, you know, super baked in the in so such, so, so, such like it's smooth, you know. No, it doesn't work like that. Someone has to work for it, has to fell from it, and only through persistent, consistent and discipline you can go forward. You have to learn to fell. You have to learn how to take the takes in a way to reach your success. Okay. So this is the discipline of action and but Some obstacle Are impossible to overcome. So when an obstacle is Is impossible to overcome, and then in that case there is the discipline of the wheel Of the surrender.

Speaker 1: 8:43

So there is a moment you're in your life where you you have to surrender is a moment your life where you did everything, everything like everything. You know what I mean everything. You really have to make sure that you really, really, really did everything to try to achieve that success, that dream or whatever, that goal. Okay, but then sometimes, just you have to understand that it's also okay to surrender. Evidently you need another path to reach a certain way to be happy.

Speaker 1: 9:27

Example toxic relationship. So toxic relationship, it's something that you can, you can't fix. You can put so much effort for months, years and you can work for it sometimes goes well, very enough, but sometimes it's just Just doesn't work sometimes, even if you try to put effort and you see that you cannot fix things Because the relationship is just a natural toxic relationship and there is nothing that you can do right and you have to to surrender. And another, yeah, and another example it's a failing business and I read about this article where last year Game companies fire around 5000 people.

Speaker 1: 10:29

This because in the corona virus time, you know, all of us were in the house and there was more entertainment To watch, to play and in the time most of the game companies I guess also for movie and something like that they just hire more people. Right, but there's no more the time anymore. This is the time where, fortunately, we also take our time to go out and enjoy again. Everything without you know was so crazy time with the corona virus. So unfortunately, companies, they surrender self, they didn't find any solution. And now, regardless the fact that I'm sorry about these people or whoever has been fired, you know, in the past or in the present, I've been fired so many times myself, so you know like it's not placeable, I know the feeling, but regardless that sometimes something so objective, right, of course, in the corona virus time there was more time to dedicate in the house. So they hire a lot of people.

Speaker 1: 11:51

And now this company they surrender self. They don't need anymore this game developers. So last year they fire 5000 people. There's a prediction also about this year they're gonna fire around 10,000 people. There is nothing to do. There is nothing to do because the condition was totally different than the condition we're living right now. So that's what Ryan, the writer, says when it talks about the discipline of the wheel. So random with the evidence.

Speaker 1: 12:22

Okay, so only three keys for today, since the book was very short. I I love the summary and and nothing. I'm just happy that I share with you. As I say, that's not about it's. It's. I'm very happy every time that I met, every week. Honestly, because it's not about how I say things. I don't really care. Of course, there is always that improvement line that I would like to reach one day, but as much as I know that you're here Listening my words in a way that you can reach your success, well, I'm just happy, like that and and yeah, like, see you in the next episode. Thank you guys for being here on journey to success and if you like the episode, please just put a like, comment or share with someone else and see you to the next episode, cheers.