Without Struggle, There's NO PROGRESS: Overcoming Obstacles

Obstacle- (n)something that obstructs or hinders progress.

An obstacle is something, material or nonmaterial, that stands in the way of literal or figurative progress:

There will never be a time in life wherein we are striving to achieve a goal and that desired goal is not met with resistance, challenge(s), or an obstacle(s) along the journey to successfully achieve what we desire . The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teaches that "everything of value, has a difficulty factor attached to it." Re-read that quote for me please! The quote doesn't say that a "couple things" of value! The quote doesn't say a "few things" of value! Not even "some things" of value! The quote say "everything of value" has a difficulty factor attached to it. So, we can rest assure that adversity will accompany the journey of success. Obstacles will indeed accompany the journey to success. These obstacles are actually necessary on this journey to success. They tend to put us in a predicament where we must choose to leave or remain in our "comfort zone". Forced to go within ourselves to engage in a process that has been given by The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan which is: self-examination, self-analysis, and the self-correction which leads to our self-improvement.

In a book that I was recently studying, the author was highlighting the "80/20 Rule" on obstacles which can be read in many books in the realm of "self-help". This "rule" indicates that eighty percent of our obstacles are within, only a mere twenty percent actually exist externally.”. Did you read that? Take that in! 80% of our obstacles being INTERNAL/WITHIN, while only 20% can be linked to something external/outside.

( An obstacle is something, material or nonmaterial, that stands in the way of literal or figurative progress:)

Let's think back on some of the obstacles that we've had to overcome, or obstacles that we're striving to overcome at this very moment(which ALL OF US ARE!). Our obstacles were or are nothing new to the world! Everyone one that has lived(and those to come) on this planet have or will face an obstacle, some adversity, that will challenge us in a way that forces us to take ourselves to another level. Take a look at the words of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan as he speaks on Adversity inside of his monumental book titled "Closing The Gap: Inner views of the Heart, Mind & Soul of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan": "it’s natural for adversity to accompany everything of value,... Adversity becomes the mother, out of which creativity and the genius or the spirit of God is made manifest.Out of the darkness of space and the adversity of overcoming nothingness, came sun, moon, stars, life; all forms of life. So when one is created in the image of God, that means that adversity will accompany that life. This is why the Qur’an says, “Allah has ordained struggle.”

Struggle means that there is something that you must move against that is a natural impediment to prove yourself. You have to break through that impediment. What flows from that is a creation (one’s self) that glorifies God."

In concluding this writing, the goal is to inspire US ALL to go within during this time. This is a beautiful time to go engage in the process of Self-Improvement. What is this process? How does this process look? Well, in a book of Study Guides titled "Self-Improvement: The Basis For Community Development", the process within these Study Guides "are designed on the guidance of God to produce self-examination, self-analysis, self-correction, and, to quicken in each of us the self-accusing spirit. For, it is only when we are awakened morally that we have to face the self-accusing spirit that leads to our resurrection."

Resurrection is the process that begins with the self-accusing spirit and does not end until we become one in perfect harmony or peace with God and His Creation."

Let's allow the obstacles that we have to overcome in this time. Physically, mentally, spiritually, morally, and economically. Aid and assist US in becoming greater than we've ever imagined. Because if it stands true that "everything of value has a difficulty attached to it", there's nothing more valuable than the life that Allah(God) has blessed you and I with. So let's meet and overcome ALL OF THE OBSTACLES IN OUR PATH!!

May Allah(God) bless you with the mental and physical strength to become what He has created you to be! As-Salaam Alaikum!