You must have heard that astronauts lose their muscles in outer space for lack of gravity. But I don't know how many of us have also heard that we lose our muscles on earth if we don't train them even though there is gravity. The common denominator is that the obstacle is the way, or physical resistance is necessary for maintaining and developing our physical muscles.
I stressed the word "physical" on purpose because I've learned the hard way that this principle applies not only to our physical muscles but also to our spiritual "muscles". In other words, the obstacle is the way not only physically but also spiritually.
This is why one of the sages I know often says that the biggest challenge in life for our spiritual growth is the lack of challenges. And this is also why I prefer being wished growth rather than success by others.
This is because I feel that "success", as in "I wish you success", often seems to connote a lack of resistance, which seems to imply that the obstacle is not the way. So what is the way that those who wish "success" to others and themselves typically seem to prefer? Perhaps remaining in their comfort zone their whole lives.
I not only start feeling uncomfortable after remaining in my comfort zone for a certain amount of time, but I even remove myself from it consciously in search of less comfort so that I can grow further, as I've already experienced that the obstacle is the way.
You may wonder whether I oppose any form of "success". Not at all! Enjoy it while you can ;-) as it's often a temporary state. I'm just careful not to turn it into the ultimate goal of my life.
You may also wonder what the most efficient way to face any obstacle is. Many of us are probably used to trying to overcome obstacles with as little friction as possible, which often leads us onto roundabout paths. As you can imagine, I used to think and behave this way until I encountered an amazing approach as part of my study of Chabad Chassidus.
It's embodied most typically in the famous teaching "לכתּחילה אַריבער" (lekhatkhile ariber). You face the challenge head-on from the very beginning as your first choice. It was precisely the counterintuitiveness of this teaching that first appealed to me. Then, once I stopped overthinking and started taking this approach, it worked amazingly well though it was not an easy path at all. Again, the obstacle is the way, and the most direct way to face it is chosen consciously.
PS: Let me share with you a link to a famous Chabad melody also called "לכתּחילה אַריבער" (lekhatkhile ariber), sung by an amazing Chabad singer named Benny Friedman. This melody has accompanied me for the past few years, especially every time I start to face an obstacle head-on.
PPS: I often present myself as an "astronaut" in that I'm often detached from "reality," that is, conventional sociocultural norms. But I refuse to be an astronaut who lets a lack of gravity cause him to lose his "muscles". In this respect, "reality" is also an obstacle in itself for me.