In 2007, I was outraged when I discovered T-Mobile was blocking Twitter on their mobile network. It felt like censorship, a corporation deciding what connections I could make.
Now I understand obstacles completely differently.
The Biggest Block Is Action Without Alignment
The biggest thing that ever blocked me from getting what I wanted was not external. It was taking action without finding flow first. Taking action when I did not want to.
It is detrimental to do anything that you can not or have not found alignment with yet.
There have been plenty of times when I just did not want to go to the gym. I was not aligned with it, but I still wanted to stay healthy. So I would feel my big feelings about not wanting to go, and then an inspiration would hit. Go kayaking instead. Take a hike in nature. A friend would call and just knowing they wanted to be at the gym with me would give me renewed inspiration.
It can happen in all kinds of ways. But the key is: do not take action until you have gotten still, felt the feelings that are there in the present moment, and processed them to the point that inspiration shows up.
When Things Go Off the Rails
If you act without this alignment, that is when things go off the rails. That is when accidents happen. That is when you create more problems than you solve.
The feeling of being blocked is usually a signal, not an obstacle. It is telling you that you have not processed what needs to be processed before moving forward.
Think about the times you pushed through anyway. How did that go? Did the project flow or did everything feel like grinding gears? When you feel blocked and force forward, the friction multiplies.
Obstacles as Feedback
Now I see obstacles as part of the mirror of reality. They are not punishment. They are information. They are showing you where energy is stuck, where something needs to be felt before you can flow forward.
When you feel blocked, the first question is not “how do I push through this?” The first question is “what am I not allowing myself to feel?”
Usually there is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of what others will think. Fear of finding out you are not good enough. These fears create blocks that look external but are actually internal.
The Practice of Alignment
Before you take any significant action, check in with yourself. Are you moving from inspiration or obligation? From excitement or anxiety? From flow or force?
If it is the latter in any of those pairs, pause. Feel what needs to be felt. Wait for the shift. It might take five minutes. It might take five days. But action from alignment creates momentum. Action from resistance creates friction.
When you feel blocked, the answer is not to push harder. It is to get still, feel what is there, and wait for genuine inspiration to arrive.
This is shadow work in action.
If you are ready to process what is blocking you, explore the Shadow Work practices.