I think a lot of Stoics know the concept of obstacle is the way, but when the obstacle shows up in real life, they don't think, only react. When they react, they don't remember the concept and instead of moving forward, they fall backward. I like to call this the Observer. Rather than just drifting through life, I step back and observe my life as I live it. I detach so I can respond with thought. I try to keep my attention in the middle of my inner self and outer world so I can see what is happening. Then when I meet an obstacle, I see it as the way rather than a setback and can make a good, less emotional decision.