Navigating the Winds of Life (Part 2)

When adversity comes to drain the tank of enthusiasm, resiliency steps in to refill it – Anonymous

One of Life’s Inevitabilities

Winds or adversities are inevitable in life. But with this certainty comes the possibility of a great discovery. Horace, a Roman poet, said, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous times would have laid dormant.” This effect of adversity should encourage us not to escape when trouble comes knocking but to dig into an identity trait that each of us has: resiliency. Knowing that adversity can bring out talents and abilities in you that would otherwise have been unknown makes the journey through the valley of trouble a welcome one. How can we stay afloat in adversity?

Your Ballast

Ships are equipped with a ballast to resist excessively high winds and stay afloat on the way to their destination. Without the ballast, a boat would succumb to these winds by tipping and eventually capsize. As you move toward your goals and destiny and encounter winds of adversity, don’t cave in and quit; show up with your ballast of resilience and press forward. As you keep moving forward with resilience, you will uncover abilities you never knew you had, confidence you didn’t think you possessed, and ideas you never believed possible. You will discover a better version of yourself than before after the adversity. Life never comes with a manual, but we are equipped with something better than a manual. The DNA of resiliency! Resiliency is not what you have; it is who you are, and resiliency grows as you exercise it in life’s adversities. Discovering and employing the ballast of resiliency starts with our inner world and our self-talk. 

Resiliency is not what you have; it is who you are, and resiliency grows as you exercise it in life’s adversities.

Change Your Language

Susan David stresses that “navigating our inner world – our everyday thoughts, emotions, and stories – is the single most determinant of success.” How we handle these inner controls is critical when we are under pressure. A more significant portion of handling stress involves controlling the temperature of our inner world with the thermostat of sober thinking, composed emotions, and wholesome self-talk. This is where true success in life begins when adversity is at the door of your progress. Don’t sell yourself short by making statements that start with, “I can never get past _________.” Or I will never _________. This negative self-talk in the face of adversity can nail us to the wall of inaction and hinder our progress. We end up in the dungeon of self-pity. Here is the good news. Adversity is not your breaking point; it is your breakthrough point! Change your language to “I am resilient, and this adversity will improve me as I go through it. I will discover a better version of myself who will be of greater value than before.” 

Adversity is not your breaking point; it is your breakthrough point!

Final Thought: Knowing who you are when facing adversity is critical to staying afloat. The gene of resiliency we all possess is available to use when facing the headwinds to progress. We must ask ourselves, “How bad do I really want this goal, vision, or dream?”

Keep on keeping on!