I once heard the phrase, *“The obstacle is the way.”* At first, it sounded like a paradox—how can the very thing that blocks me also be the path forward? But slowly, I began to see the truth in it.

Every dream comes with its own guardians at the gate, those obstacles that test how much we truly want to walk toward it. They don’t exist to keep us away; they exist to shape us into the person who can actually hold that dream when we arrive.

Layer by layer, I learn about myself. Each challenge strips away what is unnecessary, and each step through resistance reveals a strength I didn’t know I had. Obstacles are no longer enemies. They are mirrors, teachers, and sometimes even gifts.

The path may not be easy, and I definitely despise this difficult way. But in every obstacle, I find not just the way forward—but also a deeper version of myself.

Karin Sabrina