“Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.”
-John Wooden
When we are in school, we learn about things like different cultures, how to solve a quadratic equation or climate control. All are important topics and help us grow academically. However what helps us to grow in our own personal development are those situations when we are faced with adversity. Those are times when things seem to be going against us due to certain circumstances or a stork of bad luck. Legendary College Basketball Coach John Wooden once said we become more acquainted with ourselves as to who we really are when we are faced with adversity. It is an opportunity to be one on one with the challenge you are facing. Its where you can truly focus on yourself and critically analyze your strengths and limitation to develop actionable steps in overcoming that level of adversity.
In a recent article by Entreprenaur entitled 10 Ways Successful People Push Through Adversity it gives advice as to how we can overcome things we we are facing certain challenges:
1. Find your sense of humor-sometimes just stepping back and seeing the humor of the situation can help lighten your mood and allow you to move forward.
2. Be mentally prepared-think of the worst case scenarios and prepare for how you would respond to them.
3. Take stock of all you’ve been through already-reflect on previous times you have faced adversity and what it took for you to overcome it then build things from there.
4. Adversity offers valuable insights-we can learn from our mistakes, plan and execute things differently.
5. Make peace with the situation-take responsibility for our actions.
6. Embrace adversity as a chance for opportunity-we learn our most difficult lessons during this time, learn to change course and reinvent ourselves
7. Refuse to give up-fully commit to finding a way forward and develop a growth mindset.
8. Have a purpose-know your why.
9. Keep a positive mindset-keep an open heart and mind and be optimistic.
10. Believe in your capabilities-when you realize that you rebound from adversity due to your skillset, you become limitless.
As Walt Disney once said, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
What does this quote mean to you and how can you apply today’s message towards improving your self awareness?
Becoming The Change 