Moments of Adversity

Calm seas don’t make skilled sailors.

I’m sure you’ve heard this quote, or a variation of it, before.

And it’s very true.

It is the challenges in our life that offer the most growth potential.

And that doesn’t necessarily mean we will win or be victorious all the time.

In fact, many people shy away from adversity, or they shrink from it.

Many people avoid it altogether by giving up.

They allow themselves to be more “realistic”, or to take their foot off the gas pedal when they face adversity.

But some people embrace the adversity; some people use it to their advantage.

It’s the moments of adversity that teach us the most about ourselves.

In fact, I think moments of adversity are a gift from above.

They are the opportunity to test our dreams in reality.

Does this dream that I’m chasing REALLY matter as much as I say it does?

Am I simply “interested in the results” of this goal, or am I actually committed to it?

Adversity forces you to question yourself.

It’s a fork-in-the-road that tempts you with an “easy way out”.

But nobody who has accomplished something extraordinary has surrendered to the temptation of the “easy way out”.
 
 Instead, they have faced the adversity head-on and used it to build strength.

That’s why I LOVE adversity.

Growing up playing baseball I used to LOVE when I found myself on the mound with the bases loaded and no outs…

Many people looked at that as a “bad spot to be in”.

Obviously, it’s not ideal, but within every adversity lies an opportunity.

That adversity always heightened my focus.

It tested me to find out what I was made of.

I was never the type to whine or complain about the situation either, because it was one I had put myself in.

I was the one who had loaded the bases, so it was my opportunity to get me and my team out of that inning with minimal damage.

All I could do in those moments was face the adversity head-on; I had to direct my focus to the opportunity in front of me….

The guy stepping into the batter’s box.

I always knew that if I could just get one out….

Just one….

Then, I might be able to conquer that inning and ultimately, the game.

My thought was to just get that first out without giving up a run….

That would then put me in a perfect position for a double-play to end the inning.

I always started with that simple objective:

Get the first guy to either strikeout, or pop one up on the infield.

As soon I got that first out, I focused on the next one.

That’s exactly how you must face adversity in your life.

So many times, the obstacles and adversities seem insurmountable, but all you can do is focus on that one task staring you straight in the face.

Then, you focus on the next one.

And then the next one.

Don’t allow yourself to shrink from adversity.

Use adversity as an opportunity to showcase your strength.

We should all walk around praying for adversity, because adversity is the only thing that allows us to PROVE to the world who we really are.