The Impediment to Action Advances Action

Life always presents struggles. When things seem hopeless, it’s easy to feel like the opposition to your goals will never stop. That opposition, however, can also breed the exact kind of action you need.

As a quote attributed to Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius puts it, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Standing at a wall of opposition is intimidating, but it also creates motivation. Knowing the wall you have to climb can push you to find a way over it.

Conflict is never easy. It’s uncomfortable, stressful, and scary. Sometimes it can feel so overwhelming that you’re not sure how to keep going. However, if you can embrace the conflict that stands before you, accept the problem as it is and prepare to challenge it, you can find the way that you didn’t know was there.

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