Overcoming Adversity
Life is full of ups and downs. In hindsight, some of the worst experiences we have lived through seem quite minor in retrospect. Why is this the case?
Partly due to the idea that past events have the fortunate perspective of being only a portion of a greater whole. Despite all the vicissitudes, the “bad” is never a constant. We just don’t know when the “turning point” will be, or what its particular nature. In times of adversity, it is more important than ever to remain faithful in the understanding that a solution might be just around the corner.
But so much of the recovery is based on our own efforts. In this world, there are no “freebies.” There is no substitution for hard work, and the “downsides” are simply there to teach us important lessons, so as to guide us as to the best way to move forward with our lives.
If we never suffered or felt shame, despair, or guilt, would we ever change our behaviors? Of course not. The world is finite in terms of its resources, and that includes our own. What motive would there be for us to change the way we think or behave unless the world took action to poke us in the arm and say, “hey, if you do that one more time, this is what’s going to happen to you.”
And the world gives you time. Yes, freak occurrences of nature do occur, but many of our worst predicaments did not occur in a second, a day, or even a year. They are the result of our repeated actions, i.e., our habits, that are the manifestations of our assumptions, worldviews, and simply the way we were raised.
Once we are young adults or adults with a consciousness of the causes and effects of our own actions, we can choose to deviate from our upbringings, if we deem it to be the correct way forward. Even if we were brought up in an ideal environment, it may not be the case that your parents are always around to remind you of certain things when you need them to.
In these situations, we become the masters of our own fates, for better or worse.
These circumstances, whether good or bad, are just a small part of a bigger plan that the universe has carved out for us in our brief span on Earth. We cannot see what’s to come and have only a limited understanding of what went on before, but in the present moment, we have the unbelievable task of the power of making a decision.
Should I go this way, or that?
Make a decision and heed the consequences. Never get stuck in the mud if you fall, because it’s the beginning of your uphill battle of growing into a better person.
