You are a survivor

Life + Adversity = OPPORTUNITY

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.

The key to overcoming adversity is not to wallow in it but to turn it into an opportunity.

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.

We are all adversity overcomers and survivors. It’s inevitable. Accept it! Anticipate it! Prepare for it in prayer!