When I was in the army, I was trained to be tough, efficient
and extremely resilient. Physical and mental fitness was a part of everything
we did. If someone had described to me the workout regimens before I went to basic
training, I would have said there was no way I could do that.
I’ve since realized that I am a survivor and so are you. We have all
overcome adversity and we’ve all had our share of battles. We have all gotten
smarter, stronger, braver and wiser from the struggles we’ve endured. Maybe not
right away, and maybe not easily, but we’ve bounced back from hard times, and
we’ve proven to ourselves that our spirit is stronger than anything that could
threaten to break it.
I’m confident that
it was my faith and trust in God that has brought me through every single
adversity that I’ve endured. So yes, I’m a survivor but only because I had a
strong hand to guide me.
Here are a few
steps to help you turn adversity into an opportunity:
1.
Accept that adversity is inevitable.
Whether we like it or not, adversity
is a part of life. Accept it. Anticipate it. It would be easy for each of us to
allow self-pity to overcome us, seeing life as being so unfair, questioning ‘why
has this happened to me?’ Instead I encourage you to see the possibility and
the opportunity in the adversity while also realizing that every single person
in this world experiences adversity. Accepting that adversity is inevitable
will soften the blow and help you overcome with a more positive state of mind.
2.
Recognize what you have learned.
It
is important to stop and reflect on the ways in which the journey through the
adversity has affected you. Has it made you a stronger person, better prepared
to take on challenges in future? Are you wiser now, more comfortable with your
place in the world? Perhaps you will even be able to pass on the insights you
have gained to others facing adversity of their own.
3.
Help Others
There is a lesson in every adversity we have overcome. I am
a strong believer that we do not learn a lesson just to hoard it and let it die
with us. Lessons are learned to be
taught. Professor Joseph Badaracco said “In today’s environment hoarding
knowledge ultimately erodes your power. If you know something very important,
the way to get power is by actually sharing it.” You get power by empowering others.
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