The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

Demosthenes was an ancient Greek orator. He overcame childhood tragedies and disadvantages, including illness, a speech disability, the death of his parents, and his guardians’ betrayal, by training himself in the art of speechmaking and fighting for his rights to his inheritance. Holiday claims that when faced with problems, many people try to comfort themselves with distractions or give up, telling themselves that the situation is impossible. He posits that we can learn from people who overcame much bigger problems than most face today, such as discrimination or disabilities; they could not waste time complaining and had to use “creativity and gusto” to solve their problems (68). He coaches the reader to not spend too long thinking about their problems, or trying to come up with excuses for their lack of action.

Amelia Earhart overcame sexist discrimination to train as one of the first women pilots, and was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic solo and non-stop. Holiday argues that if Earhart had been offended by her first offer, in which she accompanied two men across the Atlantic and was unpaid for the gig, she would not have enjoyed the same success. Holiday claims that people should take advantage of any opportunity they can and make the most of it, rather than passively waiting for the perfect situation.