One of the mottoes that became popular in our generation is “Plan your work and work your plan.” So many of us set a goal and tried to work our plan diligently – only to meet with rejection from a third party who seemed to have the power to thwart that goal. The job that wasn’t offered, the submitted writing that was declined, the invitation refused – such obstacles to attaining a long-term goal can leave us with an overwhelming feeling of frustration or failure. We may be tempted to ignore the obstacles or force a  path through them because we are so intent on working our plan. But sometimes an unforeseen event, a perceived obstacle, can be a significant opportunity. Motivational speaker Steve Maraboli  certainly sees it that way; he said: