The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday

Xavier Savage
Nov 11, 2019
4 min read

The Obstacle is the Way, isn’t only an intro to Stoicism

The Obstacle Is The Way book review: A lot of people Criticize the work of Ryan Holiday, but the point of the author is to express an complex topic in a simple manner.

The way he blends together concepts is not, original or new. However he does package it in a way that I believe the masses are in dire need of.

While we can consider The Obstacle Is The Way as an introduction, to stoic philosophy, its more so the philosophy of getting your life together. We miss the point trying to suggest, that people skip over low barrier reads, for the more complex reads.

That is the reason so many books go unread, because people pretend to have more time than they actually have. After getting an overview, through Ryan’s work its a lot easier to absorb the information from academic resources.

The idea is to get started not complain about what the best way to get started should be.

The Obstacle is the Way, is the second book I read by Ryan Holiday, I didn’t really enjoy, Ego is the Enemy, which was the first book I read.

However I enjoyed the Podcast and interviews of Ryan Holiday so I gave this book the benefit of the doubt and I’m glad I did.

Summary of The Obstacle is the Way

The Obstacle Is the Way is Holiday’s third book, and it is my second favorite book, with Stillness is Key Ranking as number one in my book.

Problems are simply a chance to grow stronger. The Ego most people have, compounded with an unnecessary cloud of arrogance, only sets people up to miss the obvious.

9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. – Ecclesiastes 1:9 King James Version (KJV)

This book is a must for cultivating mental toughness, and understanding that stoicism is about re-framing things so that they aren’t detrimental or destructive to your life and goals.

This is not the Secret its a practical and tangible means of reaching your goals.

In Part I: Perception, you’ll learn:

To see events straightforwardly, as neither good or bad.
That you should focus only on what you can control.
That getting emotional or upset never provides you with more options to solve your problem.
To look at your problems from the outside.
To focus on the present.
And when you’re stressed, tell yourself that “I’m not going to die from this.”

In Part II: Action, you’ll learn:

To focus on the process, not the end result.
That persistence is key.
That “eureka!” moments don’t appear out of thin air, they’re solutions found after an exhausting amount of attempts.
To have realistic expectations.
That action isn’t always about moving forward, but sometimes about choosing to make a stand.
That finishing is the most important thing.

In Part III: Will, you’ll learn:

To remember that “this too shall pass,” no matter what it is.
To build a fortress in your mind called your Inner Citadel.
To do a pre-mortem on your ideas.
That constraints in life are actually a good thing.
To develop acceptance and cheerfulness.
To love what happens to you, good or bad.

Other books he’s wrote, that I own. (amazon affiliate links)

Other books he’s wrote, that I own and have reviewed.

What books do I recommend from the list above?

The Obstacle is the way is a must read, and you can read my review for it here. It is probably his second most complete work in my opinion.

Ego is the enemy is a good read, but I would say skip it, its not really in my top 3 of his works.

Conspiracy is a complete skip, in my book.

The Daily Stoic is definitely a nice compilation, of daily inspiration,

Trust me, I’m lying, is a must read for those, who still believe in a world of organic traffic, and can’t decipher between pr stunts, and real life.

With the Perennial Seller, I would recommend Seth Godin’s work over this book, but its highlights the importance of creating meaningful long lasting work.

The Same can be said about Growth Hacker As well, there are other authors I would recommend.

Summary

The Obstacle is the way, is a must read.

Ego Is The Enemy, skip.

Conspiracy, skip.

Trust me, I’m Lying, is something that should be read.

Daily stoic, is an absolute must have.

The Perennial Seller, is an okay read I would recommend for people who mindlessly jump from project to project.

The Growth Hacker, has beneficial information over it, I would recommend over or in addition to the perennial seller.