"For a long time it seemed to me that real life was about to begin, but there was always some obstacle in the way. Something had to be got through first, some unfinished business; time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." - Bette Howland

Obstacles are

a matter of perspective

Webster's dictionary defines an obstacle as "an obstruction that prevents a forward movement or course of action." Do you ever feel restricted by an obstacle- something that keeps you from moving forward with your life, something that stands between you and what you define as a complete and whole life? Do you see the pathway of your life leading to a point at which you will one day arrive where all obstacles will disappear? If you do, you are in for one long pathway.

I don't know of anyone who doesn't have obstacles of one kind or another in their life. As a matter of fact, my observation is that often those who appear to have the greatest challenges in life, with apparent obstacles far larger than my own, seem to see their own challenges not as obstacles at all but rather growth opportunities for forward movement.

Thomas Carlyle wrote: "The block of granite, which is an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong." In other words, obstacles are all a matter of perspective. Do you see the challenges in your life as obstacles or opportunities?

Do you see them through the eyes of a victim or a victor? Either way, let's free ourselves from any illusions: We shall always have challenges. How we see them is our choice.

I first met Joe LaSalle at our center when he was in his early 20s. Joe uses a wheelchair. He lost the use of both legs when he was a preteen, due to leg surgeries gone wrong.

For years, it wasn't unusual to see Joe wheeling around town. He even entered special events and competitions for those with similar "handicaps." In truth, Joe has never seen himself as handicapped. He became known around town as the Wheelin' Wonder because of his skills on the dance floor and as a musician. He makes that wheelchair do things Elvis would envy.

Joe later became a professional personal fitness trainer and now works with people throughout the city, helping to shape not only their bodies but also their attitudes. How does he get around today?

He earned the money to buy a truck, which he had fitted with special equipment that allows him to control the foot pedals with his hands. It would have been very easy for Joe to perceive his circumstances as huge obstacles. Instead, he moved into adulthood with a healthy attitude about his future.

He made a decision to see opportunities not obstacles. As a result of his choices, he has become a beacon of inspiration and encouragement for countless others.

One of the greatest gifts Joe offers the world is visual proof that wholeness is not a physical condition; it is a state of being. The next time you feel overwhelmed by the obstacles that lie between you and a happy and whole life, I invite you to think of Joe LaSalle.

In Zen, there is an old saying: The obstacle is the path.

Know that a whole and happy life is not free of obstacles. Quite the contrary, a whole and happy life is riddled with obstacles- they simply become the very steppingstones that help lift us to a new perspective. It is not what happens to us in this life that shapes us; it is how we choose to respond to what happens to us.

Victim or victor, the choice is ours.

As long as we inhabit these garments of flesh and bone, it is a choice we will have the opportunity to make many times over. It is all part of our journey along this wonderful pathway of becoming more of that which we have come to be. Obstacles or opportunities- what say you?

Dennis Merritt Jones is the spiritual director for OneSpirit Center for Conscious Living in Simi Valley. His website is www.OneSpirit.org.