We've all been there!
I find it fascinating to witness how others handle difficult situations in their lives. Not for the joy of seeing someone in the valley but because you get to learn lots about how they tackle those problems that come their way -- the takeaways, the mistakes, and what would have been the best plan of attack.
Others get bitter. Some, get better.
When you are an outsider, you could easily see a solution out of other people's problems. But when you're going through it, many of us would find ourselves in a roadblock.
But whether we like it or not, adversity will always be a part of man's short existence. Knowing that, how can we capitalize on them? How can we benefit from challenging circumstances?
[Photo by Maria Maliy on Unsplash]
Here I'm going to share what's been percolating on my mind lately: The 3 Benefits of Adversity.
1. Adversity Reveals The Real You.
For 2 years, I've suffered from debilitating depression. Thank God, I'm over it now. See here. It sure was a difficult moment in my history. In all honesty, I wish it hadn't happened but I had to get past the ugly to see the lessons and the good that came out of it.From that, I've learned I had many wrong beliefs about God; that my mental software needs updating; that I always see myself as the victim and habitually evade responsibility for my actions, etc, etc. That night season of my life only revealed the darkness within -- of who I really am in the face of trials. And it was ugly!
It took me a couple of years to realize that. Well, I wasn't so smart like the rest of humanity. Nonetheless, I've gained something that will never be taken away from me. And I was in a far better place now compared to where I was before the depression hit.
Who are you in your night seasons? Do you like what you see?
If not, embrace change. You can't change your circumstances, you can't change others but you can always change you. Start with your mind. You either get better or bitter by the way you think.
2. Adversity Humbles You To Become a Person of Grace
The trials of life test you, refine you, purifies you, produce good character in you, and humbles you.Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
~ Proverbs 16:18
When you're up there -- getting all the good breaks one after the other effortlessly -- it'll be so easy to fault others on all their wrongs. You forgot where you've come from, your small beginnings, and weigh others up through the lens of your elevated position, demanding perfection just like how you've done it. When the ego blows up, you become myopic, unrelatable!
I believe adversity not only teaches us a lesson -- which sadly not many will grasp -- but also molds our character, humbling our hearts to make us a person of grace.
You'll go through a purification process to remove the dirt of old thought patterns and negative attitudes before you could inspire and lift others up. It is a pittance price to pay if you want to make a difference in the lives of others.
We'll be able to identify with the hurting, with those who are going through pain and encouraging them to fight. Speaking words of strength and hope and light.
If someone like you has gone through setbacks after setbacks and has overcome them, there's no reason why they can't do it too.
3. Adversity is Food for the Greats.
I've read it over and over not just in modern times but also in our ancient past. Those life stories we've read about in books deserve a place in history because these people faced insurmountable odds -- yes, far more life-threatening situations than we could imagine -- and have emerged victorious.They wouldn't be greats if haven't if not for those adversarial circumstances. They've jumped through hoops, courageously fought for what they believed in, and risk their lives in the process.
We don't do that anymore today. The world has become a better, safer place because of the legacy others have left. Yet, fear still paralyzes us. The problem is in our thinking. We can be defeated, even before we start, by what we believe.
You need to rise up above it and face into the wind of adversity! The good part is, it won't cost you your life like it did on our ancestors.
And for peace's sake, stop obsessing what others think of you. They won't be the ones shouldering the repercussions of your choices. Live authentically. It's your life and no will be as invested in it as you.
Use the winds of adversity to lift you higher, to make you soar high above it just like how the seagulls use it to take flight. I've written a life lesson about that here.
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.
~ Henry Ford
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If you find yourself in a tough spot today, remember, you can rise above it! Use it to mold you to become better than yesterday, to become a person of grace. And when you come out of it, encourage others, lift them up and give them hope of a brighter tomorrow.
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