We can ask why there are problems or we can choose to enquire into what we can learn. The fruitful exploration of our psyche likely needs impediments. Without a parameter that stands for the hardness of our reality, what is truly meaningful cannot be discovered. While the absence of obstacles could be visualized as ideal, trusting that even difficulties yield value aids in managing pain without fear.

That our circumstances can be difficult ought to be given equal weightage, and as much attention as our preoccupation or anticipation of pleasurable happenstance. In readying for setbacks, we clearly see that such attention and consideration should be time bound. If we can do as much as we can, and then stop or shift focus, our system learns to maintain vigil. Just that much is a gifting that only setbacks confer.

Constraints are also part of the way. From their unwieldiness springs the means for movement and momentum. A path that is always smooth and clear does not bring into focus the value of the destination. In charting a tough course, not only do we learn to rely on what is sustainable, we begin to see that it is the roadblocks that actually create the space for us to move!