For some people, obstacles are minor bumps in the road on the way to success. For others, obstacles represent a major catastrophe of epic proportions threatening to disrupt any chance of success they may have otherwise had. But for five-time Grammy award winner Kirk Franklin, obstacles represent the challenges needed to propel you through life.

In THE BLUEPRINT: A Plan for Overcoming Life’s Obstacles (Gotham Books; May 18, 2010, $25.00), Franklin reveals how he turned negative aspects from his own life—drugs, an absent father, teenage parenthood, poverty, etc.—into blessings by learning from them and moving forward. Hear his transparent interview with Pam Perry.