The Obstacle Is the Way Pendant

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” —Marcus Aurelius

The inspiration for the international bestseller The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday, that line, plucked from the pages of Marcus Aurelius’s private Meditations nearly 2,000 years ago, is a timeless, life-changing lesson.

Daily Stoic is excited to announce an easy way to keep this important thought in mind. A beautiful sterling silver pendant, a literal and inescapable reminder that “The Obstacle Is the Way.”

The world is constantly testing us. We set out to do something and it’s more trying than we expect. We face resistance. We get criticized. We run out of options. We experience technical difficulties. What will we do?

Marcus would say that the Stoic finds a way to turn every negative into a positive. In this famous line, what he’s suggesting is that—no matter how bad or seemingly undesirable a situation becomes—we always have the opportunity to practice virtue, to use the situation as an opportunity to be our best selves. We don’t control when things get hard, but we always control how we respond. We can show patience, courage, humility, resourcefulness, reason, justice, and creativity. The things that test us make us who we are.

The Stoic grows stronger and better with every obstacle they face. They rally to every challenge and thrive as a result. So can you.

To keep this thought in mind, we’ve created The Obstacle Is the Way pendant to wear. The front features a great mountain. The back shows Marcus’s enduring words: “The impediment to action advances action, what stands in the way becomes the way.”

Our hope is that when you encounter these obstacles you’ll feel the pendant around your neck and remember that each obstacle offers a chance to thrive not just in spite of whatever is in front of you, but because of it.

Each pendant is designed and manufactured in California. They’re made from pure sterling silver with enamel backing to give a contrast from the high-polished text and design areas. The delicate but strong chains are made of genuine sterling silver.

Dimensions: The pendant measures 19.05mm or 3/4" wide and 31.75mm or 1.25" tall, and weighs approximately 5.2 grams or 1/6 oz. silver. The thickness of the pendant measures from 0.9mm (background) to 3.3mm (mountain) with the round border being 2.2mm thick.

The chains are .925 sterling silver flat curb chain. Women's are 1.5mm wide and 18" long with a spring clasp. Men's are 2mm wide and 22" long with a lobster clasp.

Shipping Information: We ship worldwide.

*All sales are final on sale items. We will not accept returns.