As each day ends and another begins, the words of Frederick Douglas ask us as individuals to recognize the relationships between lifes daily struggles.

The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions, yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all absorbing and for the time being putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing.

If there is no struggle, there is not progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.

They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.

This struggle may be a moral one: or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those who the oppress.

Even though these words speak of politics, these words also speak to the human condition of potential, achievement and motivation. Douglas understood the human condition all too well. Humans need struggles or obstacle to motivate them toward progress and achievement of their goals.

This suggests two questions:

1. Can you identify the struggles (obstacles) that are keeping you from your progress?

2. Do you have a process that allows you to anticipate and overcome these struggles?