The Way is Blocked but That's a Good Thing. 🧱💰🥇🤸

Published: Wed, 01/08/25

Updated: Mon, 01/13/25

The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.

Marcus Aurelius

There was a river we would go to after school in Jamaica. The waters were crystal clear. When you stepped into it, even for a tiny river, you could feel the current push against you. The waters were coming from the hills, gathering momentum on the plains. There was a naturally occurring pool - about 20 feet deep, that you could get to if you moved against the river’s flow.

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Keep moving, good things are up ahead.

If you were lucky, girls would be swimming naked up there, so the struggle was worth it. I didn’t know I had experienced one of life’s greatest lessons: resistance isn’t a barrier—it’s an invitation. The current doesn’t care about your plans or your path; it simply exists. But how you navigate it defines everything. This is the essence of Ryan Holiday’s wisdom in The Obstacle Is the Way. The very thing standing in your path isn’t blocking you—it is the path.

🌟 Tomorrow’s Heroes Challenge: Unleash Your Afrofuturist Superhero! 🌟

Are you ready to envision the next iconic superhero? Dive into African mythologies and futuristic vistas to create a hero who embodies both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge innovation. Your creation should inspire, resonate, and captivate—shining as a beacon of hope or a warrior of change in a futuristic society.

Challenge Details: Craft an original superhero character drawing from African myths, set in a future where their powers are needed more than ever. Whether they harness digital sorcery, bio-engineered enhancements, or quantum stealth, make sure they stand out in the pantheon of heroes.

How to Enter:

Character Concept: Provide a name and detailed description of your hero, including physical appearance and costume, which should blend traditional African elements with futuristic flair.
Super Powers and Abilities: Describe the powers your hero possesses. Are they rooted in ancient lore but amplified by future tech? How do these powers work?
Origin Story: Tell us how your hero discovered or inherited their powers. What event or journey catalyzed their transformation into a superhero?
Impact on Society: Explain how your hero uses their powers to impact their world. Are they a protector, a revolutionary leader, or a symbol of unity?
Visual Representation (optional but encouraged): Submit an original digital artwork of your hero in action or posing heroically.

Judging Criteria:

Creativity and Originality: How unique and innovative is your superhero?
Integration of Mythology and Futurism: How effectively do you combine African mythology with futuristic elements?
Depth of Characterization: How well-developed and complex is the character?
Artistic Presentation (if applicable): How visually engaging and professional is the artwork?

Prizes:

🥇 First Place: Your character will be featured in an upcoming story in our newsletter, plus receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
🥈 Second Place: Your character will be featured in our newsletter and receive a $25 Amazon gift card.
🥉 Third Place: Your character will be mentioned in our newsletter and receive a $10 Amazon gift card.

Submit Your Creation: Email your hero's description and any optional sketches to Marksmanstudios1@gmail.com. Please format your entry with your contact details and the title "Tomorrow’s Heroes Challenge!".

Submission Deadline: Be sure to submit your submissions by 3rd February 2025.

I’m drawn to this idea not because it sounds profound but because it’s brutally honest. Life isn’t a straight road with occasional detours; it’s a terrain of obstacles, friction, and recalculations. The resistance we face isn’t an interruption of life’s flow—it is the flow. It’s the raw material of growth. Once you see that, your relationship with struggle changes for the better.

Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck outlines it in The Road Less Travelled: “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.” At first glance, this feels like a statement of defeat. But it’s the opposite. Peck argues that once you accept life’s inherent difficulty, it stops feeling like an injustice. The struggle doesn’t disappear—it simply loses its power to overwhelm you.

Chill for a moment and reflect: what if your frustration with life isn’t about the obstacles themselves but your expectation that they shouldn’t exist? We often assume that ease is the default and that things should go our way unless something “goes wrong.” But what if ease is the exception and difficulty is the rule?

The truth is, struggle isn’t a glitch in the system—it is the system. And here’s the counterintuitive twist: once you accept that, life becomes more manageable—not because the challenges disappear, but because you stop resisting them. The energy you once spent fighting reality can now be channelled into navigating it.

Ryan Holiday’s philosophy is rooted in the Stoic idea that obstacles don’t just test us; they forge us. The impediment to action, he writes, advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way. This perspective isn’t about romanticizing struggle but redefining it. An obstacle isn’t the universe conspiring against you—it’s a forge, shaping you into someone stronger, wiser, and more capable.

When the river meets a rock in its path, it doesn’t stop or complain. It adapts. It flows around, over, and through. It wears the rock down over time, not with brute force but with persistence. You, too, can adopt this approach. The obstacle doesn’t need to be conquered—it needs to be engaged.

This perspective has changed how I approach both my life and my work. When I’m stuck on a scene or a chapter, I don’t see it as a failure of creativity. I see it as a signal that I’m on the verge of discovery. The block isn’t a barrier—it’s a threshold. I needn’t avoid the struggle but lean into it, trusting that it’s guiding me toward something deeper.

The same is true for life’s broader challenges. Losing a job, facing rejection, or enduring heartbreak isn’t a diversion from the “real” path—it is the path. These moments force us to reevaluate, adapt, and grow. They strip away the illusions we cling to and show us what we’re truly capable of.

Peck writes, “Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult.” The difficulty remains, but it ceases to feel unbearable. The obstacle doesn’t shrink; you grow.

This isn’t just philosophy—it’s practical. Psychologists tell us that our beliefs about hardship shape how we experience it. If you expect life to be easy, every challenge feels like an attack. But if you expect difficulty, it becomes manageable, even meaningful. The obstacle transforms from a source of frustration into a teacher.

So, what does this mean for you? It means when life blocks your flow, it’s offering you something invaluable: the chance to grow. Friction isn’t failure; it’s fuel. Resistance isn’t rejection; it’s redirection. Instead of asking, “Why me?” ask, “What can I learn from this?” Instead of resisting the current, adapt to it.

Life is difficult. That’s the truth. But within that truth lies freedom. Freedom to face life as it is, not as you wish it would be. Freedom to grow through struggle, to find purpose in pain, and to let the obstacle shape you into something greater.

The best way forward is rarely the easiest. But it’s always the most transformative. Let the block in your path become the reason you rise. What stands in the way becomes the way—if you let it.

Peace, love and power.