“When life gives you lemons, Make Lemonade.” – Author Unknown

We would all like our life to be smooth and problem-free, but the truth is this it is not how it is. And, honestly, it is better this way. If not for the challenges, problems, issues, and road blocks along the way, we would not have learned half of what we know. We probably would not improve our character or find the courage to step out of our comfort zone. We would not learn to appreciate what we already have or become more tolerant and understanding towards other people’s mistakes.

You might not see it like this the moment you face these difficulties, but take it from me anything worth achieving comes with a neatly packed bundle of obstacles and problems to resolve. You can look at them as a bad karma from your past lives. You can view them as God’s way of guiding you in the right direction. Or you can simply view them as bad luck. It really does not matter that much.

What makes a difference is what YOU do about the challenging situations you encounter?

How do you prepare for them? How do you overcome them with dignity, efficiency and even gratitude? And more importantly, how do you turn these road blocks into the stepping stones of your future success?

Here are 12 Practical Actions to Overcome Obstacles to Success:

1. Get up and start over.

Moments of self-pity and grief help you to liberate your negative emotions and give you time to reflect on what went wrong, but these moments should not last too long, as they do not help to improve the situation in any way. The only difference between our successes and failures lies in the number of times we are willing to get up and start over.

2. Concentrate on the lesson.

As Tony Robinson once said, “We like the surprises we want. The ones we don’t want we call problems, but we need them.” Challenging situations have not been given to us just to ruin our day. They have been given to us, so we can learn a lesson. The faster we do, the sooner the situation will resolve itself.

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Do you know one fact that actually bothers me every time I take the subway to go to the city? It is not the big crowds. Or the lack of air-conditioning. Nor it is the noise. No.

I get really worked up every time I see a bunch of high school students entering the train. Well, the students per se’ are not a problem. It is their backpacks that bother me so much. Everyone and I literally mean EVERYONE is wearing the same “Eastpak” backpacks. It is like there is some unofficial rule that every single kid from the age of 10 to 20 must wear identically styled backpacks that come in 6 or 7 ‘regular’ colors.

Did you have such “unofficial rules” when you were in high school? Have you sometimes felt an outsider, because you did not have the coolest cell phone or because you saw the world differently than most of your friends?

I know I was.

Even now as much as I would love to fit in wherever I go, I still prefer to be me. So what if my work does not fit a “regular job description”? Or that my lifestyle and interests are very different from those of many people? Or that every time I go to parties I have to explain why I do not eat meat or drink alcohol?

I made peace with it a long time ago.

But I meet a lot of people who still carry that fear inside of them, trying to mold who they are to gain the acceptance of their family members, co-workers, friends and other social groups.

It made me reflect whether looking at life differently is really such a big problem?

Being ‘normal’ and going with the flow does seem like a touchstone of life and the number one requirement for success to many people.

But real life shows that those who stand out and let their light shine are the ones who make it Big!

And here is why:

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“It is through cooperation, rather than conflict, that your greatest successes will be derived.” – Ralph Charell

Have you ever felt that winning is not just about competing? Does the idea of winning at all costs sound foreign to you? Are you tired of competing with others for ‘your place under the sun’?

If so, this article is written for you!

My personal experience with competing!

When I was little, every winter, when the snow covered the hills by our house, we used to play one particular game, called “The king of the hill”. The rules were simple – you tried to get to the top of the hill as fast as you could, bringing down anyone who climbed in front of you. If you were lucky enough to get to the top first, your only task was to keep your champion position by fighting anyone who tried to take your place as “King of the hill”.

I never once won the battle to the top. Honestly, I did not stand a chance of winning – I was not strong, nor aggressive enough. And my brother, who was two years younger than me always ended up at the bottom of the hill as well.

One day, tired of being pushed down, we decided to join forces and climb together. I helped him and he helped me (something we had never done before). After about 25 minutes of pushing and struggling, we made it to the top! We were the “kings of the hill”! To the shock of the older boys and numerous ex-champions, we won! I won!

Why am I telling you this?

Because this game we played as children is not that different from one we play as adults. We believe the Competition Success Myth and we climb to some invisible ‘top’, seeing those who climb with us as our rivals, a threat to our success.
But this is only a myth! If you truly want to be successful, here are 3 Golden Rules that most successful people base their achievements on:

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