Adversity In Life: A Teacher Who Only A Few Listen To
There are philosophies that preach messages against adversity in life and tell us that we must avoid it at all costs. They also point out that a happy life is a life without difficulties and obstacles. In addition, they promote the idea that difficulties cause discomfort.
Whether we like it or not, adversity is a part of life. Suffering exists and denying it will not make it go away. In fact, difficulties make a difference in our existence.
Let us assume that there is a person who has never dealt with adversity in life. This person has only experienced happy moments. They have never come across a bump in the road and have always got what they wanted. What is the consequence of such a life? The result will probably be a selfish person who lacks sensitivity. It is also very unlikely that that person values what they have and that they set long-term goals.
Just as adversity brings bitter and difficult moments, it also provides good lessons. Those who know how to learn from it are generally those who end up living a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
Positive thoughts and adversity
Philosophies of positivity became popular about three decades ago. Most of these philosophies originated in the United States. They produced thousands of bestsellers, seminars, conferences and events.
These philosophies impose practically happiness as a lifestyle. They promote the idea of a blind optimism that must prevail over all conditions. Thus, they are basically an invitation to dodge any negative aspect of situations, people or life itself.
In this regard, it is believed that people should live in an eternal state of joy and euphoria. They should live as if there was no reason to feel sadness, irritation or frustration.
Attitudes like this, especially when they are extreme, only deceive us. They are also a source of guilt because, since this type of nirvana is rarely achieved, we spend a lot of time questioning our inability to achieve the happiness people talk about in books and conferences.
Adversity in life is an inevitable fact
None of us will lose anything. We want to live without the bitterness that betrayal, love grief or the inability to achieve important goals can provoke.
If death did not leave the wake of pain behind, or if we could do absolutely everything we wanted, everything would probably be easier. But why should we think that everything is better if it is simpler?
It is important to note that adversity in life is absolutely inevitable. The fact that we are all doomed to die one day already limits our entire existence.
However, a large part of knowing how to live lies in our ability to face adversity. We should look it straight in the eye, recognize it, and deal with it instead of avoiding it and pretending it is not there. Taking action in the face of adversity is also a key factor in really knowing how to live.
The lessons you can learn from adversity in life
Both Eastern and Western philosophies speak of failure, frustration, and adversity. They insist that the key to everything is not the fact that painful events happen, but how we deal with them.
We suffer much more when we do not accept adversity than when we face it. Admitting to ourselves that we have reached a limit, and that something we want is impossible, does not mean that we will not have access to everything else that is good in life.
We become better acquainted with ourselves when we face adversity. We understand life and other people so much more when we have suffered. Bad times can help us to become stronger only if we choose to be humble and learn from them. Difficulties renew us and invite us to change for the better. In the same way, they encourage us to give more meaning to the happy moments we experience.
