Adversity. What does it mean? It means difficulties or misfortune, and believe me, I don't know many people who have not faced difficulties in life. The difference between the people you see still smiling after misfortune has occurs and the people who are still talking about that "thing" that happened to them years ago is all in how they deal with it.
The people who have trouble moving on, bring up the pain year after year. They live in this past world they have created for themselves and the certainty is, they may never move past the problem, difficulty or misfortune because the fact of the matter is, they identify with it. It is now who they have become. They are no longer BOB. They are Bob, who was trying to make a living when the stock market crashed and lost everything. They are their tragedy. And that my friends, is the true tragedy.
- Acceptance might take a while, but embrace it when it comes. I will never, ever forget the day I was told I had my first potentially life-threatening disease. I was devastated. I was 23 years old. These types of things did not happen to people who appeared perfectly healthy...but in fact, were not. Suffering is optional even when you think it isn't. A life time of blood being taken proved a point. I could embrace this, or be pissed. Either way, it was happening whether or not I wanted it to.
- Find your strength. I felt helpless. I couldn't be out in the sun for long periods of time. Who in their right mind wants some crazy disease like that? Well, nobody. That's just it. I had to woman-up and put on my big girl panties. I bought SPF 50 and started looking at a magazine with clothing that had sunscreen. The heck if I wasn't going outside. I bought a beach umbrella...never in my life had I sat under one. Well, at least now I won't look orange like some people do (you do what you have to do to give yourself a pep talk).
- I found support in people I didn't even know. I was the youngest to have porphyria cutanea tarda...and years later hereditary hemochromatosis and erm well read about me or we'll be here forever. But each time some ridiculous disease tried to knock me down, I got back up and found new friends.
- I took inspiration from others who had dealt with pain, loss or adversity of some kind. Helen Keller didn't give up...I would think. There were times I wanted isolation from the world, but slowly people would find a way in. Don't let it be two years before you look up and realize others are there for you and yes, others have been where you are. Okay, maybe this doesn't help some people, but it helps me. I am not alone. You are not alone. You really aren't.
- Determination to get my old life back became a goal. I could not go all the way back, but I could be me, living with these obstacles. I could still have a life. It was going to require more effort. There truly was not an easy button just waiting for me to press it...and I hate that commercial anyway. Stop setting us up for failure office supply people. Anyway, just do you but in a new and different way. Remember to find the value in what you went through and use it to your advantage. You did not go through all of that for nothing because you are evolving. You can do this.
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