Obstacles: Your Mind Is The Real Drama Queen Behind Every Obstacle
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How to Stop Tripping Over the Problems You Invent
Because sometimes the biggest obstacle is your overthinking brain.
The Only Thing Standing in Your Way Is the Obstacles You Create
You’ve probably heard the phrase: “Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.” But what if I told you it’s not just about positive thinking — it’s about what you create with every thought and emotion. The obstacles in your path? Many of them are manifested by your own mind.
How Your Thoughts Build Obstacles
Think about it. Concerns about budgets, worries about worst-case scenarios, checklists, damage control, constant “what ifs” — all these are mental constructions. You create them from a deep, sometimes misunderstood, need for control. You want to shape the future, but the catch is: you’re trying to control something that doesn’t even exist yet.
This need for control feels natural. Research shows that humans crave predictability because it’s tied to our survival instinct. The brain’s amygdala — our emotional alarm system — gets triggered when we face uncertainty, pushing us toward trying to plan and control. (LeDoux, 2000)
But here’s the kicker: The more you try to control everything, the more stress you generate. Neuroscientist Dr. Rick Hanson explains that uncertainty activates our brain’s stress pathways, often causing more harm than the actual unknown outcomes themselves.
What If You Created Obstacles — or Paths?
Here’s a mind-blower: If your thoughts can create obstacles, then your thoughts can also create paths. Imagine spending just as much mental energy imagining your goal with no obstacles — just opportunities, freedom, security, and joy.
Neuroscience supports this: visualization and imagining positive outcomes activate the same brain regions as actually experiencing those outcomes (Andersen et al., 2014). So your brain practices success just by imagining it.
But the difficult part is this: if even one destructive thought creeps in, you’re not fully connected to your goal. That mental obstacle demands your attention. You can’t just ignore it and move forward — it will slow you down.
How to Break Free: Be Revolutionary and Brave
It’s time for a revolution — in your own mind. When a destructive thought arises, don’t run from it. Pause. See it. Ask:
- What emotion is this thought tied to?
- What fear or need is it trying to protect me from?
- Can I accept this feeling without letting it control me?
This practice taps into your Emotional Quotient (EQ) — the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions (Goleman, 1995). Just like IQ is logic for intelligence, EQ is logic for emotional life. Your thoughts and feelings aren’t enemies — they’re data. Use that data to confront and dissolve obstacles rather than fuel them.
The Fine Line Between Control and Freedom
Here’s a paradox: We think control equals competence and pleasure. The more control we feel, the safer and more powerful we believe ourselves to be. But often, what we think brings us pleasure actually brings stress, rigidity, and fear.
To grow, you have to learn to appreciate — even embrace — uncertainty. Because freedom comes not from controlling every detail, but from trusting your ability to handle whatever comes.
As psychologist Dr. Brené Brown puts it, “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.”
Final Thought: Your Mind Is a Garden, What Will You Grow?
Will you keep watering the weeds — the fears, the doubts, the imagined obstacles? Or will you plant seeds of possibility, joy, and courage?
The power to shape your reality isn’t some magic trick — it’s emotional intelligence in action, paired with brave self-awareness.