There's someone you should meet

Friends, I'd like you to meet Obstacles (pronounced like a Greek word/name so something close to this: Ob/stock/a/lees).

You might recognize him, since we all face him everyday. He comes in many forms - too much homework, illness, fear, a loss of direction/purpose, the absence of time, lack of money, self-doubt (or someone else doubting you), basically anything and everything can be turned into Obstacles (even those donuts your friend brought into the office when you're trying to lose weight!).

He looms, giant and scary, casting our dreams in shadows. Sometimes, the shadow distorts our dreams so harshly, that we hardly recognize them anymore. Sometimes, we can no longer even see them. We stand there, paralyzed with fear.

But the important thing to remember is this: Obstacles is ugly - he has horrible, matted hair; the harshest unibrow ever; a nose five times bigger then it should be; a potbelly - he has horrible fashion sense and (most importantly) his hands are stuck to his butt.

In case this isn't obvious, it's kind of hard for a troll-man to do anything to you without hands. So you know what you do? You just get rid of him.

When Obstacles presents himself, first thing you do? Take a lesson from cats everywhere and turn your head away. Then think about what you are going to do to him.

When Obstacles comes with way too much homework or so many editing plans you feel paralyzed.......kick him with your foot!

When Obstacles comes with self-doubt......punch him in the face!

When Obstacles comes with illness.....set him on fire!

When Obstacles comes and tries to steal all your time away from you.....drown him in a lake!

When Obstacles comes, however he's disguising himself this time.....do what you need to to get him the hell out of your way!

Obstacles can only stop us from following our dreams if we let him. It's our choice.

What will you choose? (Feel free to discuss some of your obstacles in the comments and tell me just what you are going to do with them!)

(Credit for the invention of Obstacles (pronounced ob/stock/a/les) comes from Chris Brady one of the world's top 30 leadership gurus. Mom saw him at a convention this past weekend and I thought you guys needed to hear this message because it sure as heck spoke to me!)

(Also, Thank you Abby Minard, Colene Murphy and Jennie Bailey for encouraging me to write this post! I probably wouldn't have without their encouragement....Obstacles was in the way, but I set him straight!)