Thousands of years ago, there was a kingdom with bustling streets and prosperous merchants lining the roads.

Everyone who resided within the kingdom had their own job and place to be. So when a large stone appeared in the middle of a busy road, it became an inconvenience.

Merchants passed by the rock and complained. Farmers cursed it’s size. Travelers sighed and walked around it. By the end of the day, everyone agreed on one thing: someone should do something about that stone.

Little did they know, the king himself was the one who placed the stone in the road. Hiding in the shadows, waiting for someone to do something.

Eventually, a poor villager came along carrying vegetables to the market. Instead of walking around it, he put his basket down, and pushed the rock. After several exhausting attempts, he finally rolled the stone off the road.

Underneath it was a pouch of gold and a note from the king: “This is for the person who removes obstacles instead of complaining about them.”

Despite the story being older than any one of us, it comes to show that most of us don’t struggle because we’re incapable. We struggle because we spend too much energy negotiating with obstacles instead of tackling it head on.

We overthink. We analyze its weight. We wonder why it’s there. We wait for someone else to remove it.

But progress doesn’t start with total clarity. It starts with effort.

Mastery isn’t built by avoiding what’s in front of you. It’s built by pushing against it long enough to realize it moves. It doesn’t matter how slowly you do it, because in the end, you’re still making more progress than those around you.

So next time you hit resistance, don’t ask, “Why is this here?”

Ask yourself, “What can I do about it?”

Then put the basket down—and push.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still in the middle of reading Robin by David Itzkoff. A biography of Robin Williams, a look inside one of America’s most beloved entertainers.

Quote Of The Week - “You can listen to your fears and pay with your life. Or you can pay the price of overcoming your fears and live.” — John C. Maxwell