MTB BONUS: Pushing Through Adversity

Pushing Through Adversity

There was once a man named Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete and World War II bombardier who survived unimaginable adversity. During a bombing mission in 1943, Louis's plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean, leaving him stranded at sea for 47 days on a small raft. He survived brutal conditions, including starvation, dehydration, and shark attacks, while being subjected to relentless sun and storms.

After being rescued, he was captured by the Japanese and spent over two years in a series of brutal prison camps. Despite the intense physical and psychological torture, Louis never gave up. After the war, he struggled with PTSD, but ultimately found peace through forgiveness, even meeting and forgiving many of his captors.

His story is a powerful testament to resilience, forgiveness, and the human capacity to overcome even the most harrowing circumstances. It was later chronicled in the book and movie Unbroken.

If you've never read the book I would definitely encourage it. It's an incredible read. That being said, what do you consider adversity?

Objectivity is always an enriching practice especially when using such an extreme contrast. This, by no means, is to downplay any struggle you're navigating as I cannot know the depths of your personal situation. If anything, it's to hold you accountable to yourself, to assure that your situation deserves the significance you're attaching to it.

In most cases, what I want to implore to you is that adversity is a terrible thing to waste. It opens the door to a wealth of knowledge and a test of your fortitude. Adversity can be viewed as something to dread or an opportunity to learn. To know struggle is to know yourself. To know struggle, and persevere, is to know growth.

The tipping point for adversity is at the fulcrum of your posture. Meaning the journey towards victory begins when you lean into the fight. When adversity is strong, the natural inclination is to receive what is being given with an open hand. Especially when the adversity is not your fault. People often sit passively, as if life has knocked them down, waiting with a "woe is me" attitude."How could this happen to me? I didn't do anything to deserve this." While you may not be responsible for your adverse status, the responsibility is still on you to get out of it.

If the struggle is indeed your fault, own it. Take responsibility for your mistake and lean into the situation. Here are some key thoughts on pushing through adversity.

Pull your resources. Recognize that "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." -Albert Einstein. Talk to people who have successfully navigated similar situations and ask for guidance. You don't have to do this on your own.
Control what you can control. In most drastic adversity there will be ample things you cannot control. While they may be infringing on your ability to navigate the challenge, it does nothing to focus on what you can't control. Put your mind towards the things you can.
Be grateful. I understand this can be a difficult request especially if your hardship is intense or even more so if it's not your fault. When you focus on gratitude it reframes your reality, sets you at ease, and helps you be objective about your situation.
Be emotionally stable. Intense tribulations heighten your emotions naturally. It's imperative you keep calm. High emotions cloud your thinking, spur poor decisions, and make it difficult for anyone to help you. Take a deep breath and lean into solutions.
Think long term. This will help immensely with number 4. Something I would often say to myself and my wife in difficult situations is "If it doesn't matter 5 years from now it doesn't matter now." This doesn't clear up all hardships or even solve them, but it brings perspective to subside your emotions and know everything will be ok.

For most, your current adversity will be a blip on the radar five years from now and it's important to take a deep breath, step back, and push your emotions out of your mind. Focus on the next step and keep moving forward.

Today's Forced Challenge: I want you to force yourself to reach out to someone you trust and who knows your adversity, and I want you to ask them these questions....

Am I dramatizing this?
And if I'm not, Am I making excuses?
Are there things I could be doing to move forward and I am choosing not to?
Am I taking responsibility for this situation or am I playing victim in anyway?

Remember, even if your adversity isn't your fault, you are the only one who can do anything about it.

Ask with a desire to really know the truth and act on the answer. It's easy to convince yourself that you're the victim, that it's justifiable to sit in your struggle. Push yourself to ask and be able to know for a fact, you're doing your best.

“You may not be able to control the adversity that comes your way, but you can control how you react to it.” – Unknown