“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
— Marcus Aurelius
This is the Stoic formula for turning adversity into fuel.
In The Obstacle Is the Way, Ryan Holiday revives the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and shows how history’s most resilient figures — from emperors to athletes — used obstacles as training grounds.
The core idea: obstacles don’t block the path — they are the path.
💡 Core Ideas:
1. Perception is everything
You can’t always control what happens, but you can always control how you interpret it.
Train yourself to stay calm, see clearly, and find opportunity inside challenge.
“Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed.”
2. Action is the cure
Don’t wallow. Don’t freeze. Don’t retreat.
Move forward — even if it’s inch by inch. The key to momentum is deliberate action.
“Action is commonplace. Right action is not.”
3. Will is your final fortress
Some obstacles can’t be beaten. But your attitude — your inner citadel — can’t be broken without your permission.
“You will come across obstacles in life — fair and unfair. And you will discover, time and again, that what matters most is not what these obstacles are but how you see them, how you react to them, and whether you keep your composure.”
🛠 Skill Stacker Take:
The Obstacle Is the Way is mental jiu-jitsu for builders.
Your blog post flops? Good. Now you know what doesn’t work.
You feel resistance to writing today? That’s the training.
Your idea gets ignored? Perfect — you’ll learn how to pitch it better.
Obstacles aren’t setbacks. They’re proof you’re on the right path.
Lean in. Flip them. Use them.
That’s 1% better, Skill Stacker style.
