By: M.M. Hassan Abdulhadi Rasheed – University of Karbala, College of Islamic Sciences

There are many diverse obstacles that threaten individuals seeking success. These obstacles add a flavorful challenge to life; without them, there would be no burning desire to reach the peak of success. Challenges are opportunities to showcase abilities and solidify skills. To know whether you are on the path of success or not, reflect on these seven obstacles—have you overcome them?

1. Prevailing Negative Beliefs:
   Statements like “I’m too old now,” “The opportunity has passed,” or “What will people think of me?” are incorrect beliefs. These represent the material of negative thinking, which is a significant obstacle to achieving your goals and desires.
2. Fear:
   Fear has many sources within a person, such as fear of change, failure, loss, facing problems, or even death. You must be courageous, unbothered by any challenge, as you aim for success. As the saying goes, “Pleasures are won by the bold.” Imam Ali (peace be upon him) also said, “If you fear something, confront it, for the intensity of caution is greater than what you fear.”
3. Overcoming the Obstacle of Past Sorrows and Future Worries:
   The past, whether filled with sorrow or joy, has become part of memories. The best benefit we can derive from recalling the past is learning from experiences, avoiding repeated mistakes, and identifying signs of fruitful opportunities. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said, “Wisdom is preserving experiences.”
4. Surrounding Events:
   It is incorrect to let surrounding events directly affect your ambitions. This obstacle is often used as an excuse for failure in progress or achieving dreams. For instance: “My parents argued,” “I have social problems with friends,” “People around me don’t get along with me,” “Recent bombings affected my work,” or “The noise at home impacted my studying.”
5. Abandoning Effort and Repetition:
   Thomas Edison didn’t invent the light bulb without a spirit that resisted despair and found joy in effort and repetition, driving him toward the hope of achieving his goal. Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” This principle was translated by the inventor in his lab, where he reportedly repeated his experiment to invent the light bulb, which we now use in every corner of the world, approximately 9,999 times! He famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thus, you can only reach glory and success by enduring the bitterness of obstacles and using repeated attempts as a rope to climb to the summit of success.
6. Toxic Individuals:
   Surrounding us are “success roadblockers,” so beware of their toxic words filled with discouragement. Anyone who absorbs your positive energy by constantly talking about failure, despair, and the difficulty of overcoming obstacles is a failure themselves, and getting close to them becomes a danger that must be avoided.
7. Trivial Distractions:
   We must focus well on our goals and not allow any trivial thing to divert our attention, no matter what it is. For example, our desire for trips, watching TV for long hours, sitting on social media, or practicing certain hobbies can, in reality, be trivial distractions compared to the greatness of the goal we aspire to achieve.