The greatest obstacle you’ll ever have to overcome is…yourself.

The hardest person you will ever battle is you and you alone. American writer Carl Sandberg once said, “There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.”

I think we can all relate to that statement. There are days when I am in the flow, and there are days when I can barely go. It’s easy to believe in ourselves when we’re in the flow, but the true test comes when we encounter obstacles along the road. It’s in the midst of these challenging moments that we have to stay strong and keep moving forward despite the discouragement we feel.

French-German theologian Albert Schweitzer said, “One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.” If you think success comes without opposition, you have a faulty view of success. The road to success is filled with obstacles. 

My encouragement to you is to embrace the journey of life whatever comes your way and to keep on believing…you will get stronger. Mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist Sir Edmund Hillary said, “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

What areas are you currently working on to overcome in your life? Get specific about always working on improving something about who you are. The more intentional we are, the better off we will be in the long run.