How do you handle adversity? In a recent reading, the
author made a claim that reaching one’s potential is linked to the way you
handle adversity. Interesting.
“Adversity isn’t always bad. Actually, adversity can be
something to be thankful for as (God) may be using it to strengthen you.”
Winston Churchill said, “Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.”
“If you allow difficulties and challenges to frustrate,
intimidate or discourage you, you will never overcome them. But if you face
them head-on and press through the adversities you encounter, refusing to give
up in the midst of them and moving forward with a heart of gratitude (there’s
that word gratitude again), you will develop the skills and determination
needed to be everything you were created to be and experience everything God
intends for you.
How often are the things you think are difficult or a
challenge directly related to your mindset? If things don’t go your way do you
feel intimidated? Do you need to always be in control and don’t handle disagreements
or different points of view well? What are your reactions when things just
aren’t going your way?
I do think our reactions to adversity have a lot to do
with our experiences growing up. I also think our reactions have a lot to do
with how old we are which means how much experience we’ve had on life’s
journey. What if we took the attitude that all adversity, when mastered, becomes
an opportunity as quoted by Churchill? How different would your life look? Instead
of adversities being a negative, what if your mindset was one of opportunity?
When the disappointment of not making a specific sport
team, or not making the high school choir, or not making the debate team, or
not getting on the Dean’s List, not getting the job, the raise the promotion you thought you deserved or not…. whatever it might be, what if we looked
for the lesson? What if we looked for what is next? What if we learned
something so the next time we were more prepared? What if we came away understanding
more what we needed to do to reach that goal? What if we were open to a new
path other than the one we had planned? Hmmm…
Gratitude and mindset have so much to do with what we want
to accomplish in our lives. For me, life is a constant testing of our personal
resolve, our personal dreams, and goals, and our personal desire to be the best
we can be. We will always be tested over and over and over again. How do you
handle those challenges, those adversities? Do you learn and grow? Or do you
blame, complain, and defend your actions never taking responsibility?
Success in life comes from taking responsibility,
learning, growing, and a never give up mindset. Success in life comes from
remembering the quote from Winston Churchill, “Difficulties mastered are
opportunities won.”
Book
Suggestion: The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer
Quote: Success is to be measured not so much by
the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has
overcome.
—Booker T. Washington
—Booker T. Washington
