When the Obstacle is the Opportunity

What if the challenge isn’t blocking the path—it is the path?

An interesting thing happened the other day.

Something simple, really: a shift in my son’s lacrosse practice location.

No big deal for most people—but for me, it meant driving through unfamiliar territory with my less-than-stellar directional instincts and poor eyesight. A situation I’d normally find… a bit stressful.

My old reflex would’ve been to feel the pressure rise, imagine everything that could go wrong, and quietly count the minutes until I was back on familiar roads.

But this time, something shifted.

I realized: this isn’t just an obstacle—this is an opportunity.

• An opportunity to rise.
• An opportunity to stretch myself.
• An opportunity to practice trust.
• An opportunity to reframe a minor stressor as a moment to grow.

And—without even planning it—it became an opportunity to model that mindset for my son. 

As I put my playlist on shuffle, I said to him, “Let’s see what the universe wants to play for us,” and the first line of the song that came on?

“I think the universe is on my side…”

Oh, how I love a good cosmic-coincidence and a reminder to reframe.

Reframing Isn’t Denial—It’s Expansion

We’re not always in control of what shows up.

• The rerouted plan. 
• The uncomfortable conversation. 
• The unexpected delay. 
• The thing we didn’t ask for.

But we’re always in control of the lens we choose to look through.

Reframing isn’t about pretending everything is fine.
It’s about asking a different question:

“What might this be showing me?”

Sometimes the challenge isn’t here to stop you—it’s here to wake you up.
To expand your capacity.
To help you practice something you’ve been avoiding—like courage, compassion, patience, or self-trust.

What If This Is the Point?

Obstacles get our attention.
They slow us down. They stir our systems. They ask us to look again.

But if we’re willing to flip the frame, we might find that:

• The delay is creating space.
• The conflict is clarifying our values.
• The discomfort is directing us to deeper alignment.

It’s not always easy.
But it’s always powerful.

Every Obstacle Is an Invitation

The next time something frustrating or disruptive shows up, pause.
Before the story takes over—before the “Why is this happening?” or “This isn’t fair”—

try asking:

• “What’s the invitation here?”
• “Is this an obstacle... or is it an opportunity to reaffirm or strengthen my path?"
• "Is this an opportunity for me to learn, grow, or expand who I am?"

Because sometimes the thing that throws off your day

is actually the thing that realigns your direction.

A Final Thought

You don’t have to love the obstacle.
You don’t have to pretend it’s easy.

But if you’re willing to look at it through a different lens,
you might just find that it’s not standing in your way—

It is the way.

And maybe—just maybe—that’s where joy begins to rise again.
Not because the road is smooth, but because your perspective is wide enough to hold the possibility. . . and perhaps this is where both expansion and joy emerge.