I learned an interesting way of viewing obstacles in life from a CD I was listening to recently. It talked about how if you keep tadpoles in a container of nothing but water, they will never grow into frogs. But if you put in a rock, an obstacle that they have to climb over, then they will be able to develop their legs and become frogs. In other words, in order to become all they're meant to be, tadpoles need obstacles in their environment.

The CD went on to explain how the same goes for humans. If our lives were always smooth and easy and free of any type of resistance, we'd never feel the pressure to rise up to greater levels of achievement - to overcome and become.

Yet when we're faced with obstacles, it can be intensely difficult to keep this in mind. All we see is the obstacle and not what lies on the other side - a stronger, better, wiser version of ourselves.

However, if we make the decision to consciously change our attitude towards life's obstacles - if we choose to see them as necessary for us to become more, to become all we're meant to be - then the negativity and strife that we associate with them will gradually fade away and we'll see them as stepping stones instead.

We tend to try to run away from obstacles, but when we do that, we are actually running away from a better version of ourselves and a fuller, grander version of our lives. As Robin Sharma so wisely said: "Your greatest life lies on the other side of your fear. So run to the things that frighten you."