We are not strangers to challenges and adversity, although we often think that we have it worse than others. The reality is that we all have our unique journey leading to a destination with our name on it. No two journeys are equal; hence, no two individuals have identical experiences, even if they are identical twins.
Comparing ourselves with others is not wise as the race we are running is the race of one. You only have yourself to beat. If you keep comparing yourself to others, you don’t show up for your own race, and life lives you rather than living your own life.
I see life as an interesting journey or a university we never graduate from until we breathe our last. There will be tests and promotion exams along the way, and we get to keep repeating until we pass. If you drop out of school, school comes to you. The only problem-free zone is the grave. Even some graveyards do have issues – tomb raiders, floods, earthquakes, and other man-made and natural disasters.
If you are alive, adversity is guaranteed. Things will go the way you did not expect. You can take it to the bank.
There will be problems and adversity far and near. Family members not talking to each other, failing business, health issues, difficult bosses and colleagues, neighbors/tenants from hell, the list is endless.
Everything has at least two sides, a positive and a negative side. Nothing has only one side, including every story we hear or tell ourselves. The fact that you can only see one side does not mean that the other side does not exist. Your reality is your reality and has nothing to do with the universal reality, no matter how deep we bury our heads in the sand.
When it comes to the sides on an issue, we tend to look for the negative or the positive. Having the right attitude demands that we always look out for the good in every situation, no matter how horrendous.
If you believe in God, you know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Everything that happens to you is for your good. It either works on you or works for you. Things working on you is not funny. A piece of iron being melted, hammered, and shaped does not find it funny. If it trusts and submits to the process, it comes out as a glittering steel implement fit for use.
No one goes into depression because they have a promotion, IELTS, SAT, etc., exams. It’s a thing of joy when you consider what is on the other side of passing the exam—a promotion, visa, admission, etc. It is the same thing with adversity. The main difference is that this exam has no name, stated objective, or timetable at the time it happens. It just hits you like a bolt from the blue and works on you as long as it deems fit until its work is done.
For most of us, this info becomes apparent as a benefit of hindsight after the season is over. Some people can discern the season they are in while others never get the memo.
Whether you receive the memo during, after the season, or never at all, there is always a reason. This reason has to do with your journey and the curriculum designed to help you arrive at the destination or degree (for the academically inclined). If you lose your way or drop out, like using Google Maps, you will keep getting the prompt to show you the way back until you are finally ready to listen.
Don’t allow any adversity to go to waste, learn from it, become better, and move on. If it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger, better, and further along your life journey.
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