The Obstacle

is the way

GRAND ORAL 2020

Book :

Author: Ryan Holiday (born June 16, 1987) is an

American author, marketer, entrepreneur and founder of the creative advisory firm Brass
Check. He is a media strategist, the former director of marketing for American Apparel and a
media columnist and editor-at-large for the New York Observer .
Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Holiday)

Why did the author write this book?

The author sees most people getting stuck in the face of obstacles, but some people thriving
at every challenge. He wants everyone to thrive in the face of obstacles, so he studied those
rare people.

He discovered that the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful is not skill but
rather the method for dealing with obstacles. Since method is something anyone can learn,
he wrote this book to share the method for turning obstacles into advantages.

From this book, he hopes his readers will be able to change their thinking towards obstacles
from “I don’t like this” or even “This is not so bad” to “I can make this good.”

More information in https://medium.com/@alexchen_60904/the-obstacle-is-the-way-

summary-and-application-ead004a7cd38
Introduction

This obstacle in front of you is a frustrating, unfortunate, problematic, unexpected problem

preventing you from doing what you want. Probably what they’ve always done, and what
you are doing now is: nothing.
Most of us are paralyzed in front of this problem.
This book will share with you their collective wisdom in order to help you accomplish the
very specific and increasingly urgent goal we all share overcoming obstacles.
<< I want to show you the way to turn every obstacle into an advantage>>

The book is organized into three parts:

1. Perception: Your attitude towards the problem

2. Action: Breaking problems down and turning them into opportunities

3. Will: Cultivating perseverance that can overcome difficulty

Part 1 – Perception

Chapter 1: Discipline of Perception

The story of John D. Rockefeller his business failed, and he could have pulled out and run like his
father did, but he had sangfroid: he had an opportunity to learn from his mistakes. He found an
opportunity in the obstacle, an opportunity to learn. For the rest of his life, the greater the chaos,
the calmer Rockefeller would become.
Perception is how we see and understand the world around us. How you perceive the world
can be a strength or a weakness for you.

When first faced with an obstacle do the following:

• Stay objective
• Control emotions and keep calm
• Choose to see the Positive
• See things in perspective
• Revert to the present moment
• Focus on what you control

Seeing opportunities in obstacles does not come naturally: it’s a skill and an attitude you
must train with self-discipline.
Chapter 2: Perspective: Your Power

The story of Rubin ‘Hurricane’ : Boxing player that was wrongly accused of triple homicide.
Instead of breaking down in the prison he would read and learn and make the most of the
time he had on his hands to leave the prison an improved man. << They can throw us in jail,
label us, deprive us of our possessions, but they’ll never control pour thoughts, our beliefs,
our reactions.

The event, the obstacle, is neither good nor bad in itself.

It just is. We make the obstacle bad or good ; it’s our decision.

There are the event and the story we tell ourselves about what it means. It can positive,
negative, or there can be no story at all.

What if you were to consciously choose to tell yourself a positive story about the event?
Or what if you could choose an empowering perspective, and let your actions and emotions
follow accordingly.

Because you can.And that’s the power of perception.

Chapter 3 and 4: Steady Nerves and Control Emotions

The story of Ulysses S.Grant that he could control his nerves when something happened to
him.

Perception is everything, and if your nerves hold, nothing really happened.

When America raced to send the first men into space, they trained the astronauts in one
skill more than in any other: the art of not panicking.

When panic rears its ugly head, say “no thank you, I can’t afford to panic”, and go back to
focusing on what you can control.

Ask yourself this:

Does what happened keep you from acting with justice, generosity, self-control, sanity,
prudence, honesty, humility, straightforwardness?

No?Then get back to work.

Calm and collected, ready and prepared to throw your best at it.
Chapter 5: Practice Objectivity

This happened and it is bad is actually 2 impressions: This happenedà Objective

It is badà Subjective. There’s a difference between observing and perceiving.
<< In our own lives, how many problems seem to come from applying judgements to things
we don’t control>>
Perceptions are the problem: They give us the ‘’information’’ that we don’t need.
Everything’s always so crystal clear and simple when you’re giving advice to other people,
right?

Well, why don’t you do yourself a favor and use the same objectivity with yourself.
Objectivity means removing “you”.

Do yourself a favor and pretend it’s not happening to you.

Chapter 6: Alter your perspective

Example of George Clooney, he spent his first years in Hollywood getting rejected at
auditions. Everything changed for Clooney when he tried a new perspective: he wasn’t going
to be someone groveling for a shot. He would deliver a role in each and every situation.
The perspective has two definitions:
1.Context: a sense of the larger picture of the world.
2.Framing: an individual’s unique way of looking at the world.

The difference between the right and the wrong perspective is everything.

Chapter 7: Is It Up to You?

The story of Tommy John, a baseball player that if there was a chance, he was ready to take
it and make good use of it. One day he was injured, he could have retired but he did a
surgery (one in one hundred chance possibility to recover) and he made it.
You only focus on what matters: all that you can control.
Your emotions, attitude, actions, perspective, decision, determination… These are all up to
you.
If what’s up to you is the playing field (emotions) then what is not up to us are the rules and
conditions of the game (weather, circumstances …)
Don’t waste time and emotions on them.
To see an obstacle as a challenge, to make the best of it anyway , that is also a choice up to
you.
Chapter 8: Live In the Present Moment

It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a growing economy or shrinking one, a good job market
or a bad one, or that your obstacle looms huge.
Our problem is that we are always trying to figure out what things mean_ why things are the
way they are. What matters is that right now is right now.

The implications of our obstacle are theoretical. You can take the trouble you’re dealing
with and use it as an opportunity to focus on the present moment.
What will happen after, how better it was before the obstacle… All useless. They’re in the
past and the future. We live in the moment. And the moment you embrace that, the easier
the obstacle.
The Obstacle Is The Way discusses also entrepreneurial mentality and how entrepreneurs
live in the present.
They are like animals with no time and ability to think about how things should be or how
they’d prefer them to. They just live and act in the present.

Chapter 9: Think Differently

The story of Steve Jobs was famous for what observers called his ‘reality distortion field”.
Jobs had high expectations. One of his engineers said that one his designs was commercially
impossible; Jobs fired the employee who said it. Another example: the engineers told Jobs
that they couldn’t make the deadline to deliver the Mac, jobs responded calmly that if they
could make it in two weeks they could surely make it in one.
Jobs refused to tolerate the people who didn’t believe in their own abilities to succeed

Your perception will determine what you are capable or not capable of doing. And if you
believe in the obstacle more than you believe in your goal, which one do you think is most
likely to manifest?

Exactly.
So be open, question, but don’t let events get to you.Our best ideas come from there,
where obstacle illuminate new options.

Chapter 10: Finding the Opportunity

The example of German Blitzkrieg: they concentrated mobile divisions into rapid, narrow
offensive forces that caught their enemies completely unprepared. This military strategy
works because the set-upon troops see the offensive force as an enormous obstacle bearing
down on them. See the obstacle as an opportunity.
It’s common for people to have survived adversity or having faced major injuries to bounce
back better than before. Some times physically, some other times emotionally.
“There is good in everything, if only we look for it”.
“That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” is a fact and it has a name: Posttraumatic
growth. The obstacle is an advantage, not adversity. The enemy is any perception that
prevents us from seeing this.

Chapter 11: Prepare to Act

Problems are rarely as bad as we think.
The demand on you is this: Once you see the world as it is, for what it is, you must act.
Now that you know how important it is to steady your nerve and looking at the positives,
it’s time to act.

Part 2 – Action
Action is common, the right action is not. Your action must be directed, unrelenting and
focused.
Everything must be done in the service of the whole. Step by step, action by action, we’ll
dismantle the obstacles in front of us.
Action is the solution and the cure to our predicaments.
Chapter 1: The Discipline of Action
The story of Demosthenes, he lost his father and his guardians stole his inheritance, so he
couldn’t study. But Demosthenes did something about it, he locked himself to study and
educate himself. It was an opportunity for him to improve, to learn law and face his enemies
(the guardians) in court and win back what had been taken from him which he did. He was
the best speechmaking and his secret was: action, action, action.
We’ve all been too busy, overwhelmed, tired, stressed. An then went out partying, or slept,
or done nothing.
It makes you feel better to pretend and ignore. But it isn’t helping you. You’ve got to act.
Starting from now.
It doesn’t matter what happens to you or where you come from. It matters what you do with
what happens and with what you have. And the only way you’ll do something spectacular is
by using it all to your advantage.
Chapter 2: Get Moving
The story of Amelia Earhart, she wanted to be a pilot but in the 1920 that was impossible.
But she kept taking every opportunity (even an offensive offer) and in less than 5 years she
was the first women to fly solo nonstop.
Life can be frustrating. Often, we know what our problems are, but we do nothing.
The first step is to start, to go anywhere.
The next step is really going for it
And the last step is to stay moving, always.
Whether you feel ready or not, however, the conditions, get moving.
Chapter 3: Practice Persistence
The story of General Ulysses Grant that he would never give up during his battles. He was
unstoppable. He learned two things: First, persistence and pertinacity as a leader. Second,
always try something new.
The people around you have already begun their chorus of doubts, excuses and dejection.
But you ain’t buying it.
You look at the problem dead on, and say, as Margaret Thatcher famously did: “You turn if
you want to. The lady’s not for turning.”
Too many people believe in romanticized, yet a painfully wrong idea, that great victories
come from a flash of insight.
Like with Thomas Edison.
No, it was the slow and constant pressure, from all directions, the elimination of hundreds
more promising options, that slowly moved the solution to the top of the pile.
The genius, the real genius, was their doggedness, grit and staying power.
And that’s the message you gotta send to the world and to yourself: resistance is futile.
The genius was unity of purpose, deafness to doubt, and the desire to stay at it
Chapter 4: Iterate
Failure is feature: Failure can be an asset if what you’re trying to do is improve, learn, or do
something new. Problems become opportunities.
On the path to successful action, we will possibly many times.
If an investment or a new product pays off, great. If it fails, we’re fine because we are
prepared for it.
Listen to the feedback you get from actions.
Doing so in an open, constructive way, is a key element in overturning obstacles.
That feedback is the instruction you need to reach your goal. That’s your road map to
success: by showing you where not go, your path to victory becomes clearer and clearer.
Failure shows us the way—by showing us what isn’t the way.
Chapter 5: Follow the Process
The story of Nick Saban was the head coach of a University in Alabama the secret of his
success was: The Process. “In the chaos of sport, as in life, process provides us a way” You
break it into smaller units. And do what you need to do right now, do it well, and then move
on to the next.
Huge obstacle?
The Obstacle Is The Way teaches us you don’t look at it like it’s a monolithic giant.
Follow the process, not the prize.
As they say, a journey of a thousand mile starts with a step.
And the step after, and after that. Focus on waking well, not on what might happen after
the curve.
Excellence is a matter of step by step.
And soon you’ll be at the destination before you realize.
The process is about doing the right things, right now. Not worrying about what might
happen later.
Chapter 6: Do Your Job, Do it Right
The story of President Andrew Johnson that he would speak proudly of his career as a tailor
before he entered politics. Even when he was a tailor, he was known for being a good one.
Everything you do matters, everything is a chance to do and be your best. Whether that’s
making smoothies or bar-tending as you save money for your dream.
We will be and do many thing in our life. Some are prestigious, some won’t be, but none are
beneath us. Whatever we face, our job is to respond with hard work, honesty and helping
others as best as we can. Wherever you are, you owe it to yourself and to the world to do it
well. And when action is our priority, vanity falls away.
When action is our priority, vanity falls away.

Chapter 7: What’s Right is What Works

The story of two fruit companies fighting for a land. One company (less powerful than the
other one) didn’t attend the trial, they just bought the land. We shouldn’t worry about the
right way. We spend a lot of time thinking about how things are supposed to be, or what the
rules say we should do.
Do the best with what you’ve got. That’s it.
Progress is your goal, not perfection.
Not that you don’t aim high, but you start thinking like a radical pragmatist: ambitious,
aggressive and even rooted in ideals, but also practical and grounded on the possible.
Because real artists ship.
Don’t think small, but keep in mind the difference between the critical and the extra.
Chapter 8: In Praise of the Flank Attack
The story of George Washington, most of his maneuvers were pinpricks against a stronger,
bigger enemy. Hit and run. Stick and move. He never attacks where it is obvious.
Outnumbered, low on money, encircled by powerful competitors… These don’t have to be
disadvantages.
They can be your blessing in disguise. You got little chances head-to-head, so you’re forced
to be creative, more efficient. And to finally put your ego aside.
People or companies who have the size advantage are resting on their laurels. They were
able to coast for a long time on size and brute force. And that worked very well for them…
Until it doesn’t anymore.
Until they met you.
Now you outflank them with swift action, outmaneuver them with speed, or pitch them one
against the other.
Remember, a castle can be a scary and impenetrable fortress, or it can be a prison when
surrounded.
Chapter 9: Use obstacles against themselves
The story of Ghandi, he didn’t fight for independence for India. The British Empire did all the
fighting. He showed us that action has many definitions. Sometimes you overcome obstacles
not attacking them.
Nonaction can be action.
If you didn’t win the obstacle through attrition (persistence) or you don’t want to risk learning
on the job (iterate). You’re still a long way from needing to give up.
So instead of fighting obstacles, find a means of making them defeat themselves.
Chapter 10: Channel Your Energy
The story of Arthur Ashe, he was a tennis player and he had to survive segregation. He
learned from his father to no mask his emotions and feelings on the court. All the energy
and emotion he had to suppress was channeled into a bold and graceful playing form.
Use all the emotions you get.
Our actions can become stronger when loose and bold. So take your frustration, and instead
of giving in, use it to power your actions. Now you got physical looseness with mental
mastery, and that’s powerful.
We want right action, not action period.
It’s a power that drives your opponent’s crazy. Because the think we aren’t even trying like we’ve
tuned out the world. Like we are immune to external stressors and limitations on the march toward
our goals (because we are).

Chapter 11: Seize The Offensive

The story of Barack Obama. Against all advice and convention, he decided that he would
turn an ugly incident into that “teachable moment” and one of the most profound speeches
on race history “A More Perfect Union”.
Seize this moment to deploy the plan that has long sat dormant in your head.
Life speeds on the bold and favors the brave.
In many battles, as in life, you will often reach a point of mutual exhaustion.
Two opposing forces will often reach a point of mutual exhaustion.
It’s the one who rises the next morning after a long day of fighting and rallies, instead of
retreating who will carry victory home.
The obstacle is now your chance of winning.
Chapter 12: Prepare for None of It to Work
Perceptions can be managed. Actions can be direct. We can always think clearly and
respond creatively.
We can do a lot, but we can’t control the whole world around us. We might even fail.
Don’t let it get to you, your aim is to do your best. Not the impossible, but nothing less than
your best.
And when you just can’t get through, here comes another opportunity: to learn and practice
new virtues, even if that is only acceptance or humility.
You know the kind of person who throws at it everything he’s got and whatever the result,
he is ready to accept it instantly and move on?
Is it you?
Because it can be.
Part 3 – Will
What is will?
Will is our internal power. But that needs to be cultivated.
Will can never be affected by the outside world. When all action fails, will is our final trump
card.

Chapter 1: The Discipline of Will

The story of Abraham Lincoln that battled depression his entire life. Lincoln’s life was
defined by enduring and transcending great difficulty. But this depression prepared him for
greater things. Lincoln had developed a strong inner fortress that girded him. His favorite
saying was “This too shall pass”. He was always ready to lead, always ready for the best and
the worst.
Leadership requires determination and energy
Some people think the Will is how bad we want something.
Real Will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility.
Will is your ability to accept whatever happens. And be at peace with it. Will is wisdom.
Will is what prepares you to face anything you can face in an inherently unpredictable
world.
Will is what keeps you going matter what’s happening around you.
Will is what allows you to stay calm and collected when everyone else loses their heads.

Chapter 2: Build Your Inner Citadel

The story of Theodore Roosevelt, he was struggling with horrible asthma. But he promised
his dad to “make his body”. And by his 20’s he made it.
We take weakness for granted. We assume that the way we’re born is the way we simply
are. But you should work for it and prepare yourself for the hard road.
Nobody is born a gladiator. Getting great at anything takes practice: you build our own
Citadel, brick by brick.
Being great with adversity and cultivating Will is no different.
Chapter 3: Anticipation (Thinking Negatively)
A CEO should always envision what could go wrong in advance and have a backup plan.
Your world is ruled by external factors outside your control.
You’ll be threatened, bullied, lied to and taken advantage of. You can’t be surprised every
time it happens.Be prepared for it instead .
That’s anticipation called anticipation, and it’s both mental and practical.
Thanks to anticipation you understand the range of potential outcomes and you can
accommodate yourself to any of them.
You even understand it could go all wrong, and you’re ok with it. And now you can get back
to work.
We are prepared for failure and ready for success
Chapter 4: The Art of Acquiescence
The story of Thomas Jefferson: He was born but he became one of the best public speakers.

If someone took traffic signals personally, we would judge them insane.Yet that is exactly
what life is telling us when faced with an obstacle. It tells us the way is blocked and you
need a detour. No arguing, no depression, you simply accept it.
When the cause of our problem lies outside of us, we are better for accepting it and moving
on: C’est la vie. It’s all fine
Ryan Holiday cites Eisenhower when he said:
Everything we could think of has been done, the troops are fit and everybody is doing his
best. The answer is in the lap of the gods.
And he explains those were not the kind of men to just “hope for the best”, but at the end
of the day, they understood that what happen would happen, and they’d go from there.
The answer is in the lap of the gods.
Things can be worse so we should not complain and appreciate what we have.
Chapter 5: Love Everything That Happens: Amor Fati
The story of Thomas Edison, they burnt his factories but instead of invigorating him, he
restarts from the beginning and did better job. We’ve got to love what we do and all that it
entails, good or bad. “We have to learn to find joy in every single thing that happened”.

After you accept that some bad things will likely happen and it might be outside your
control, here is the big one: Love whatever happens to you and face it with unfailing
cheerfulness.
We don’t get to choose what happens to us, but we can always choose how we feel about
it.
And why would you choose to feel anything but good about it? Don’t look back at your
expectations, don’t think you thought it was going to be different. Face forward, and put a
smug little grin.
Chapter 6: Perseverance
The story of Odysseus leaves Troy, to make it home after suffering. Thanks to creativity;
craftiness; leadership, discipline and courage. But above all: Perseverance.
Perseverance is more than persisting at your problem.
Persistence is a matter of action, dependent on energy. Perseverance is a matter of Will,
and it comes with endurance.
Perseverance is the long game. Not just round 1. But round 2 and every round after.
It’s a belief that, eventually, somehow, you’ll get there.
We don’t control the barriers or he people who put them there. But we control ourselves
and that is sufficient.
Chapter 7: Something Bigger Than Yourself
The story of the Navy fighter pilot James Stockdale, he was shot down but when he hit the
ground, he wasn’t thinking about himself_ he had a mission and he was thinking about the
others. As a commanding officer he provided leadership, support and direction to his fellow
prisoners.
Stop thinking of yourself all the time, and putting “I” in front of all the events. “I did very
well but..”, “I deserve better than this..”.
Start thinking: Unity over Self. We’re in this together
And stop pretending what you’re going through is somehow special or unfair.
Hundreds and thousands before you felt the same and had the same thoughts.
They had no idea that you would exist, and a century from now, someone will be in your
exact same position.
Embrace the power of being part of a larger whole, it’s an exhilarating thought.
And do something helpful, think instead: if I can’t solve it for myself, how can I at least make
it better for others?
This new shift in perception will immediately shift your thinking into a new gear. All of a
sudden you’re thinking like a leader, and you’re a person who takes care of others.
Be strong for others, and it will make you stronger.
Chapter 8: Meditate on Your Mortality
The story of a French nobleman named Michel de Montaigne, this man nearly dies, thanks
to this experience he emerges from the experience a completely different and better
person.
No matter who you are or what your plans are, someone would kill you for a few dollars or a
fix of heroin.
Or a car can hit you in an intersection and that’s it. It will be all over.
Today, tomorrow, or someday soon.
Our fear of death is looming obstacle in our lives.
Or take the cliché question to ask:
“What would I change about my life if the doctor told me I had cancer”? After our answer,
we inevitably comfort ourselves with the same insidious lie: “Well, thank God I don’t have
cancer”.
But we do!
Our destinies are all already written.
And it’s not depressing. It’s invigorating. And reminding ourselves will help us treat our time
and life as a beautiful gift .
Instead of denying—or worse, fearing—our mortality, we can embrace it.
Chapter 9: Prepare to Start Again
The great law of nature is that never stops. There’s no end, just when think you’ve
successfully overcome an obstacle, another one comes along.
That’s how it is. And that’s what keeps life interesting. Life is a process of breaking through
obstacles, learning and growing along the way.
And, as you’re starting to adopt this mindset, that’s what creates opportunities.
One more obstacle and a bit more of the competition gives up.
One more, and it’s just a few of you left.
One more and one more, until you’re the only one left: the best version of you.

Final Thoughts: The Obstacle becomes the Way

In the stories in this book: something stands in someone’s way. They stare it down, they
aren’t intimidated. Leaning into their problem, they give everything they have. Even though
they did not always overcome it in the way they expected, each individual (of this stories)
became a better and stronger person.
What stood in the way became the way. What impeded action in some way advanced it.
First, see clearly
Next, act correctly,
Finally, endure and accept the world as it is.
In mastering these three disciplines we have the tools to flip any obstacle upside down.
Just remind us:
See things for what they are.
Do what you can.
Endure and bear what we must.

What blocked the path now is the path.

What once impeded action advances action.
The obstacle is the way.
Good luck HEMISTES!! We can do it even if the circumstances are pretty hard
this year.
I found many summaries online, so I modified them and added everything that I
found important in the book. But you can check the sites (in the bibliography)
Feel free to ask me if you have any question!
Stay safe
Kindly
Chaimae
HEM Tanger

Bibliography

https://thepowermoves.com/the-obstacle-is-the-way-summary/

https://www.njlifehacks.com/the-obstacle-is-the-way-by-ryan-holiday-book-summary/

https://www.samuelthomasdavies.com/book-summaries/business/the-obstacle-is-the-way/

https://medium.com/@alexchen_60904/the-obstacle-is-the-way-summary-and-application-
ead004a7cd38