Understanding how to overcome adversity is a vital life skill. Often, adversity can be the launching pad to success. How you personally deal with adversity is the difference.
If you were born into a poor family without the means to send you to a desired university, you can’t go back and trade your parents for more affluent ones. Likewise, if you were born with a physical disability, you can’t trade in your body for a better model in overcoming adversity.
Remember, however, that the cards you are dealt are less important than the way you play your hand in the face of adversity. In fact, history books are full of success stories about people who used strength in adversity.
I know this from my own life. Throughout my K-12 education, I stuttered so badly that I was afraid to open my mouth in public. When I did, I could feel my heart beating so much so that I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
Since then I have been a salesman; teacher; university lecturer; elementary, middle, and high school principal; and have lectured in 25 countries on five continents.
Use Courage to Overcome Adversity
I have previously shared how important effort is to success in any endeavor. The corollary was articulated in Winston Churchill’s famous speech in 1942, “Never Give In, Never, Never, Never.”
Of all the traits necessary for a successful life, effort and perseverance rate above all as the most essential characteristics. Of course, the key to these is courage—the willingness to risk.
There is no doubt about it: adversity often prompts people to great success. One need only visualize the blind and deaf Helen Keller or the recently departed Stephen Hawking for examples.
Adversity often prompts people to great success.
Tip: As Mahatma Gandhi stated, “Adversity is the mother of progress.” Engage this mindset to manage your stress.
You can get many more empowering tips like this one in my award-winning book, Live Without Stress: How to Enjoy the Journey. Buy one and get one free as a gift. You will not want to depart with your own copy. Be sure to check out the Without Stress Facebook Group where you can connect with other life-minded people on a journey to manage and reduce stress.
