Plots in fiction often consist of a character wanting something and being continually hindered. Without these obstacles, roadblocks, twists, and turns, there wouldn’t be a story. Our lives unfold in the same way. Without obstacles, there would be no path to traverse.

What is an obstacle? An obstacle is something that impedes progress or achievement. But it can also be something that animates creativity.

Every time I start a project, one obstacle after the next arises. The more challenging the project, the more obstacles arise. The ways we deal with obstacles are our lessons and steps to growth. But what is it that is growing or evolving?

If the project doesn’t succeed, does that mean that we have failed? We are more than the results of our outer work. Someone can be a brilliant businessperson or a great artist. But if that person has not changed, has not transformed in some way, then it doesn’t matter how much money they make or the accolades they receive.

Our true work is inner transformation.

Difficult emotions arise when we face obstacles, and we may become upset, sad, or perplexed. Then we have the opportunity to learn how to work with our difficult emotions, pacify them, and cultivate self-compassion.

I think we can all agree that life is challenging. The baby coming out of its mother’s womb has to struggle to enter this world. The mother has to undergo labor, and once the baby is born, it needs constant care.

The same is true with our dreams and goals. Giving birth to a creative project—and all endeavors are creative in some way—is just the first step of many to climb. Giving birth to an idea creates a chain of events as we try to bring our idea to completion. And even if you’ve logically thought out every step of the way, nothing ever quite turns out according to plan. John Lennon is supposed to have said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

So we need to remember that success is more than the outer manifestation of our goals. Our primary goal needs to be perseverance. I like to say, “Make your goal a habit.” Have the habit of keeping on working on your goals, and keep meeting obstacles with courage.

Some obstacles are huge, the loss of a loved one, war, or poverty, and I will not attempt to tackle how to overcome these. But no transformation, whether that is inner or outer, is possible without obstacles. Obstacles inspire creativity.

You can’t always know the right way to approach a project when you’re starting out. First, you have to begin and then analyze what’s not working and come up with fresh ideas. Facing obstacles and not giving up but persisting and discovering ways to continue helps us develop resilience.

Although in the past, many things may not have worked as you planned them, some did work. Whatever brought you to this point, whatever inner power and resources you developed when facing past obstacles will enable you to meet present obstacles with greater equanimity.

What does it mean to overcome an obstacle? It means to keep on walking on your own unfolding path. To overcome an obstacle is to transform it into an aid to your progress on the spiritual path.“The Power that brought me this far will take me the rest of the way.”