Is there any person on this earth who has not faced adversity? Life can be good, but adversities are also part of life.
How does one face them with calmness? It is difficult if the extent of adversity is very high. But one has to live through adversities and come back in life to succeed again.
A sudden accident can make one lose limbs. A man, who makes his living with his hands, will surely feel very bad and devastated if he loses his working hand.
How about the effect of the announcement by the doctor that your child has cancer? Can parents take this news calmly? They will most probably faint when they hear it first.
Some adversities are such that they shatter lives forever. But strong will and faith can help one face and conquer many adversities.
Who has not heard of Helen Keller? Her blindness and deafness could not shatter her invincible spirit. There are many instances of such people.
Look at the life as a moving vehicle. As you move, you pass many scenes. Some good and some dirty. But you sit through the journey peacefully and reach your destination.
You may mostly remain unmoved because – you are not directly pained by the scenes outside and your focus is more on reaching the destination. In any adversity, at least the second part can be applied.
Come what may, your objective should be to create a good life and live as an example for others. That should be your destination and that should be your motivation.
“We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.”
~ Winston Churchill
The ways that some folks dealt with adversity did vary. Some had great religious faith, others had an unquenchable zest for life, and others had a great determination that they could and would overcome and difficulty.
If you think about it then this does seem to make sense. After all, the longer you live then the more adversity you must overcome.
Human life is fraught with adversity — both physical and emotional — although each person’s experience varies greatly.
In order to survive adversity, to overcome loss and difficulty, and to succeed in life a person must have inner resources to draw from.
As Oliver Wendell Holmes says, “If I had a formula for bypassing trouble, I would not pass it round. Trouble creates a capacity to handle it. I don’t embrace trouble; that’s as bad as treating it as an enemy. But I do say meet it as a friend, for you’ll see a lot of it and had better be on speaking terms with it.”
Perhaps, you have seen the evidence of this even if you have never formulated a scientific theory about it.
You have seen the cancer patient diagnosed and then does not even live out the time doctors predicted.
You have seen the heart patient diagnosed who far outlives expectations — by months and then years. What makes the difference between these two groups of people?
It has to be a will to live, some inner resource, that one group possesses and the other does not.
Now here’s a story an interesting story about adversity that you might enjoy.
Adversity
A farmer owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer discovered the mule ‘braying’ — or whatever mules do once they fall into wells.
After cautiously assessing the state of affairs, the farmer felt sorry for the mule but resolved that neither the mule nor the well was worth saving.
Rather, he called his neighbors together and told them what had occurred and asked them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
At the start, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors proceeded shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him.
It all of a sudden dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back: he had better shake it off and step up!
This is what the old mule did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up!” he repeated to encourage himself.
Regardless how painful the blows, or distressing the state of affairs appeared, the old mule fought “panic” and simply kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!
You guessed it! It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well!
What appeared like it would bury him, actually end up blessing him – all because of the manner in which he handled his hardship.
7 Essential Steps to Overcoming Adversity
Being Rich
Most people never realize what “rich” truly means. Building wealth isn’t just defined in money. It’s richness in Mind, Body, and Spirit.
You can measure your prosperity in the number of friends, hopes, accomplishments, and feelings of safety you now have.
Decide now to be really rich, never settle, empower yourself and enduring wealth will come to you.
You Need Heroes
Only by striving for something better can you hope to be a role model for others. So who is your hero?
Thankfully, humanity has been blessed with others you can all emulate. Oprah Winfrey is certainly someone who has chosen to overcome adversity in her life.
Have you thought about the difference this one woman is making? She continues to inspire me to keep reaching.
Read and Learn
Never stop finding new information and new viewpoints. Many books have greatly influenced me in positive ways.
And you needn’t be an author or journalist to appreciate the vast knowledge available in libraries, bookstores, and the news media and online.
Giving Is Receiving
You receive back tenfold when you give time and energy to help your communities and your nation.
You, too, can get involved by feeding the hungry, rescuing the needy, reaching abused and neglected kids, volunteering and donating.
Consider Your Health
Don’t wait for a health scare to prompt you to begin some reevaluation in your life.
What can YOU do to improve your health so you will be happier, more meaningful, more abundant life will last longer?
Overcome Fear
By facing the most fear-generating issues in life, you can move on whether your concern is going to the dentist …being rejected by someone …trying something new or redefining something familiar…asking for help or giving it. Ultimately, any fear can be conquered.
Forgiveness
Don’t hurt yourself with energy-zapping grudges and bitterness. Remember to find forgiveness, even if you can’t forget. Let’s all look ahead at the new horizon to the Dawning of whatever tomorrow holds!
Wherever you are faced with adversity, meet it with energy, determination, and confidence. Shake it off until you completely overcome it.