Overcome Obstacles With These Three Orison Marden Quotes

Orison Marden's books contained many insights which are still quoted today, a century after the peak of his popularity as an author. This success article looks at three of his snippets of advice concerning obstacles - and offers an interpretation of their practical value.

1. "Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them."

The point being made is that the hardest part of a task is simply deciding to get it done, and then taking the first small step. Whenever you feel vaguely uneasy because of something you have hanging over you, just spend just a few quiet minutes looking at it like this. See it as if it were happening to someone else. Whatever the problem is, explain it to this imaginary person in a simple, single statement (not a question). You will then be able to see it in context, without the gut-churning emotion that can block you from taking action. So, you might find that the "nameless dread" that has caused you to wake in the night, or the restless feeling that stops you concentrating at work might because of a looming loan repayment - and you can't see past the problem to look for a solution. Once you write it down as "The bank loan for £20,000 falls due on December 1st", you can start to look constructively at finding the money.

2. "We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out."

First, Marden is telling us that we have to know exactly what it is we want to achieve. Once again, writing it down using simple language is an enormously important step. We also have to know, deep down, that we are capable of achieving the goal. This confidence must be created by recalling positive outcomes in previous similar situations. Remembering past achievements is particularly important during moments of doubt. Try this: whenever you hear yourself questioning your ability to do something, immediately recall a time where, in similar circumstances, you obtained the result you were aiming for. Create as vivid a picture as your can from the memory - including the feeling of elation at your accomplishment. Then make the connection - "I did that. I can do this, too."

3. "Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight."

I think that what Orison Marden is telling us here is that our imagination can run riot with what we see as problems and make them appear far bigger than they are. Taking a cold, hard look at the roadblocks in our way can prove inspirational. Again, I think the simple act of condensing our concern into a single statement makes it more manageable. Better yet, try to see it from someone else's perspective, or as if it was something that had already happened a year ago, and that new, more balanced context will help get past the fear responsible for so much inactivity.

by Brendan McKeogh