4 Reasons to Embrace Adversity

Aug 24, 2011

“There is no education like adversity.”
Benjamin Disraeli

Everybody likes when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, and we are all skipping through the fields hand in hand.

The world is good and things are easy.

And then we awaken, and realize that while that feeling is wonderful, it is hardly all the time. Life tends to have its ups and downs, ebbs and flows, and we have all heard before; “The one thing you can count on is change.”

Let’s face it, Life is not always easy. From time to time, we find ourselves at a crossroad, between a rock and a hard spot, pushing a rope up hill, all the while the only cloud in the sky is tracking directly over your head and spewing down rain. To that I say… Let it rain!

Adversity is one of those things we all come up against. Early in my life and career I let it get to me, but eventually I took another approach. Within adversity lies opportunity; Here I’m going to share with you the four biggest ways to embrace adversity.

1. Strengthen Relationships

While adversity can put relationships under fire, it also gives you a chance to improve them. When everything in life and in a relationship is going well, the solid footing of a relationship can be nothing more than a facade. Many of the best relationships that I have built in my life were solidified during difficult times. The real test comes when things aren’t going so well. It is often the test of friendships, work relationships, and marriages. As humans we are all prone to lapses in judgement and poor decisions. The opportunity to use those moments to improve those relationships is up to you and should be embraced!

2. Learn about Yourself (Self Actualize)

How much time do you spend reflecting on who you are when life is good and things are on cruise control? If you are like most people you are busy soaking it in and not paying much attention at all. When that sudden shift goes from good to bad it is a good time to ask questions of yourself such as “Why is this happening?” And also “How can I change the situation?” If you take the tough times as an opportunity to learn about yourself, it will make future difficult times a bit easier to swallow.

3. Fail Gracefully

Nobody likes to fail. I don’t care what people say, failure is an awful feeling. However, the ability to quickly put it in the rear view, and embrace the teachings of failure is life changing. Since I have never met a person who has gone through life without failure, I have to presume those that end up on top must do it better and more gracefully than others. How do you fail?

4. Live Passionately

When you realize that life is going to throw you curve balls, something that you must also recognize is that you can’t always avoid them. People who live in fear of adversity can wind up not living at all which I feel is a far bigger risk. If you pursue your passion and it doesn’t work out so be it. I’d rather be challenged by pursuing my dreams as opposed to being challenged (or successful) trying to avoid them.

Choose today not to let adversity stop you, rather face it head on and see how it can make your life better. From experience let me tell you…It can!