He didn’t invest because the market told him to, or because everyone else was doing it. The secret to his success was an investment strategy driven by level-headed logic – not reactive emotions. By the time he was 40, Rockefeller alone controlled 90 percent of oil refineries in the United States. The other way gives you power.Īnd we all know what kind of power Rockefeller accrued. One way of perceiving it deprives you of power. Is a financial crisis a terrifying disaster, something to run from? Or is it a learning opportunity, something to observe? It’s up to you. Perception is all about the meaning you impose on events. In other words, he leveraged the power of perception. Rather than losing his nerve, he decided to treat this economic cataclysm as an opportunity to learn, to observe, to figure out what he might do right in the future by watching what people were doing wrong in the present.

He could have panicked, scrambled to switch careers. They were afraid, panicked, perceiving what was happening as a horrible disaster. All around Rockefeller, people began abandoning careers in finance.

Two years later, the Panic of 1857 struck, sending America spiraling into a crippling financial crisis – the greatest market depression in history. He was just starting out as a bookkeeper, with aspirations to become an investor. In 1855, Rockefeller was sixteen years old. Rockefeller, the famous oil baron, learned the art of perception in the crucible of crisis. Perception: the opportunity in adversity. His other books include The Daily Stoic, The Obstacle is the Way, and Courage is Calling. He’s also the host of the Daily Stoic podcast. Ryan Holiday is an American author, media strategist, and bookstore owner. Holiday shows how we can turn obstacles to our advantage, and how we can transform apparent roadblocks into success, both in our businesses and our personal lives. By examining the struggles of historical figures of inspiring resilience, Holiday shows not only how obstacles couldn’t stop them, but more importantly, how these people thrived precisely because of the obstacles. Holiday shows how we can turn obstacles to our advantage, and how we can transform apparent roadblocks into success, both in our businesses and our personal lives.In The Obstacle is the Way (2014), Ryan Holiday brings the age-old wisdom of Stoic philosophy up to date. In The Obstacle is the Way (2014), Ryan Holiday brings the age-old wisdom of Stoic philosophy up to date. The Obstacle Is The Way Book Summary JanuThe Obstacle Is The Way Book Summary

The obstacle is the way summary