Our responses to adversity define the quality of our lives.
Please discuss. How does this play out in life?
I’ll start us out. All of us experience unwanted circumstances in life. We fall ill, lose a loved one, become unemployed, have a relationship fall apart, miss out on an opportunity, have a financial setback. We were unable to foresee or prevent the occurrence and must live with the results.
We may struggle in denial and resist accepting the undesired event. We may sit back in defeat and nurture our emotional wounds. Self-pity may overwhelm us, possibly leading us to overindulge in an attempt to feel better. None of these responses are likely to improve anything.
Alternatively, we may simply accept the adversity and choose to enjoy life in spite of it. Or we may assess our revised circumstances and decide on a course of improvement. In the face of difficulty, we elect to find a way to be happier.
Today’s message reminds me of the value of curating my own happiness. When life seems good, it is important to make time for and appreciate things I enjoy. It’s even more impactful when I do so in challenging times. I’m the person who has the most power over the quality of my existence, and I’ll want to choose attitudes and actions that bring me joy.
How about you? Do you have a tried and true way of handling adversity?