Learn from Adversity
Throughout our lives many events may arise that are sad, that cause suffering for us or that test our optimism and our desire to live. But, the secret is in knowing how to face adversity and in how we let these events affect us, and how we manage them. We can’t let them paralyze us or make us lose the joy of living.
We’ve all seen that there are people who in the face a negative situation sink into sadness, and others that are sad but show their strength and their will to live despite the harshness of the situation.
Of the latter, resilient people, we can learn how to prevent negative situations from invading and paralyzing us.
“If is not within your hands to change a situation that causes you pain, you can always choose the attitude with which you face that suffering”
Viktor Frankl
The power of resilient people
Resilience is the ability to take on difficult situations, overcome them and emerge on the other side even stronger. It is a skill that not everyone has innately, but it can be learned and developed.
A resilient person is not born, but made. Usually it is people who have had to live through situations of adversity, who have suffered and yet still become stronger every day. They give us a lesson of courage and overcoming.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other, as if everything is.”
-Albert Einstein-
Resilient people are well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. This self-knowledge allows them to develop realistic plans to achieve their dreams and make them come true.
They are creative people, who have learned to get back up when they fall, to see the positive side of every situation without becoming demoralized and without losing their hope.
6 tips to overcome adversity
The death of a loved one, a breakup, the loss of a job, the illness of a friend…these are situations that we will all probably live through during our lives, but we can choose how we feel about these situations to face them the best way possible. Here we propose 6 tips to overcome adversity and to make your day to day more positive:
Accept difficult situations
We will live through many complicated circumstances throughout our lives, and one of the most important things is to know how to manage these situations and what causes them.
Accepting adversity does not mean you cannot feel sad or frustrated. You must let out your emotions, but do not allow them to invade your day.
To do this, you can cry, but then you should focus on other tasks that will keep your attention on something else, so that your thoughts do not come back again and again to a recurring idea. Get outside, walk, read…
Move your mind and body
Mental health depends as much on how you train your brain, as it does on how you train your body. Therefore, study, read, learn non-stop, do not stop being curious, put your brain to work. And, also, move your body, walk, run, ride a bike. Whatever, whatever you like, but keep moving.
Do what you are most passionate about
Surely there is something you have wanted to do all your life. To study something that you are drawn to very much, dancing, singing, writing…It’s time to do it and to feel that it is you who chooses, it is you who takes the reins of your life in order to enjoy yourself to the fullest.
Enjoy the pleasure of traveling
Traveling is a learning process. It is not about visiting a place. It is about allowing yourself to be invaded by the sensations, smells and colors of the place you visited, by the smiles of the people, the landscapes and learning to see the world through different eyes. So if you can travel, travel. Go out there to get to know the world and feel it.
Talk to someone
If something is worrying you very much, try talking to someone, a friend, a family member, your partner. Share what is making you afraid, what is causing you harm.
Many times, someone else can give you a more objective view of the situation, and help you see everything in a more global way and without letting your feelings have too much influence. If necessary, you can seek help from a psychologist, with whom you can talk about all of your worries.
Learn from the bad things in life
Adversity can teach us to value many things that we didn’t value or appreciate before. It gives us a life lesson that we should learn and never forget.
If it is too difficult for you to learn or you can’t manage to see a lesson in a particular situation you are experiencing, try talking to someone else and they may help you see things objectively. Look through their eyes and learn from that different perspective.
“One day you will hit rock bottom; you reach that limiting situation and that’s where your personal revolution will begin.”
-Walter Riso-
