The gift of obstacles

I had no idea what I was going to write on my run this morning, until my thoughts went back again to some of the amazing inspiring people I met at the 21st Century Legacy event I attended on Wednesday.

What is common about all really inspiring people for me is their incredible belief and persistence and triumph over adversity that would defeat us lesser mortals.

And then I got to thinking that maybe they weren't always exceptional people who were destined to triumph over every obstacle in their path.

Maybe they were ordinary people who became extraordinary by deciding to take on and overcome their obstacles, whatever it took.

In Matthew Syed's excellent book Bounce, he explodes the talent myth and builds a convincing case that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become exceptional at any complex skill.

It's meeting, challenging and overcoming our obstacles that turns us from ordinary people into extraordinary people whose stories have the power to inspire others and lift them to beyond where they thought they could go.

What obstacles will you welcome and meet head on today?