Obstacles and roadblocks – when some people encounter them, they turn around and go home. Or climb back into bed. Or complain.

Others realize that a bump in the road is an opportunity to stop and check things out. Maybe there is something new to learn. Maybe there is something important to change or to consider. Maybe it is time for a new direction.

An obstacle forces us to stop and reassess. And it is my perspective that it is an obstacle because it wants us to reexamine ourselves – and get reconnected to a greater awareness of ourselves. If it weren’t an obstacle, we would have moved past it without noticing it. But the obstacles say stop, think, assess, rethink, and respond.

Most people go through life living only a fraction of their capabilities. They hit the bump in the road and either shut down or go home. So when you hit the bump in your road, look inside and redirect yourself to look for something better.

Remember Yogi Berra’s great line – “when you get to the fork in the road, take it.” When you encounter a bump, obstacle or challenge, realign, reconsider and respond. Life is telling you something. Don’t pack it in and go home. Navigate around the obstacle as a better you.