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Adversity

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“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Meet Your Worst Enemy. The True Upside of Hard Times. I often say if there’s two things in life that we can’t evade aside from death and taxes, it’s stress and pain.

The True Upside of Hard Times

Suffering is a part of life, but the mindset we layer over it makes all the difference. I have so many examples in my life, and you may as well, where a difficult time was upon me and that very time was the seed which brought on the growth of the next moment. The reality is, we never truly know whether an experience in life is good or bad because we don’t know what’s going to happen next. In Uncovering Happiness I write about how the deepest, darkest moment of my life was exactly what inevitably opened my mind to seeking out support that led me to where I am today. I felt like I had been buried in that moment, but really, I had just been planted and now aware of the blooming.

To go even deeper, while we can learn to savor the blooming (a key skill for happiness), it is impermanent. There isn’t a limit to your ability to plant seeds and water them during good times and bad. Warmly, Friedrich Nietzsche on Why a Fulfilling Life Requires Embracing Rather than Running from Difficulty. German philosopher, poet, composer, and writer Friedrich Nietzsche (October 15, 1844–August 25, 1900) is among humanity’s most enduring, influential, and oft-cited minds — and he seemed remarkably confident that he would end up that way.

Friedrich Nietzsche on Why a Fulfilling Life Requires Embracing Rather than Running from Difficulty

Nietzsche famously called the populace of philosophers “cabbage-heads,” lamenting: “It is my fate to have to be the first decent human being. I have a terrible fear that I shall one day be pronounced holy.” In one letter, he considered the prospect of posterity enjoying his work: “It seems to me that to take a book of mine into his hands is one of the rarest distinctions that anyone can confer upon himself. I even assume that he removes his shoes when he does so — not to speak of boots.” A century and a half later, Nietzsche’s healthy ego has proven largely right — for a surprising and surprisingly modern reason: the assurance he offers that life’s greatest rewards spring from our brush with adversity. With his signature blend of wit and wisdom,

Hardship

Coping. Stress Factors. Losses. Post-Traumatic Growth. A Roadmap to Overcoming Insecurities. By Leo Babauta There isn’t a person amongst us who doesn’t have insecurities — some are just better at dealing with them, or perhaps hiding them.

A Roadmap to Overcoming Insecurities

Light After Darkness: 6 Ways to Keep Going During Tough Times. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”– Desmond Tutu Throughout the past three years, I’ve experienced the most profound darkness in my life.

Light After Darkness: 6 Ways to Keep Going During Tough Times

A relationship that I cared about ended. A fragile marriage reached its breaking point and unraveled as I came to realize how little control I had over parts of my life. I lost my partner, grew apart from my family and became increasingly isolated. I left a legal job. I gave up my permanent address. As the storms of my life raged, I had to ask myself who I was, who I had become and where I was going. Yes, a soul-shaking series of events had led to a turbulent life crisis. I had to grieve, reflect, grow and adapt to the changes in my life. Today, I can honestly say that I’m grateful for having experienced this period of darkness in my life.

Why? Because the darkness has brought me to the light I see today. I realize that my grueling and painful journey has brought me to a place of clarity and happiness. 1. Who are you? Don’t ‘Get over it': How accepting hard times can help you triumph over them. Pensive woman in reflection.

Don’t ‘Get over it': How accepting hard times can help you triumph over them

(iStock) How many times have you heard someone say, “I just need to get over it so I can get on with my life?” Or maybe it’s something you also do yourself. A Tip to Try for Anyone Who Struggles with Uncertainty. Many us, whether or not we struggle with an anxiety disorder, view uncertainty as intimidating.

A Tip to Try for Anyone Who Struggles with Uncertainty

After all, uncertainty is ambiguous. It means unpredictable situations that we’re convinced have the potential for discomfort, undesirable outcomes, bad news, and big mistakes. So we avoid uncertainty. A Special Forces Officer Teaches You 5 Secrets To Overcoming Adversity. Life can be really difficult sometimes.

A Special Forces Officer Teaches You 5 Secrets To Overcoming Adversity

We all deal with it. But how do top performers overcome challenges?

Books

Competition. Resistance to Change. Grieving. Sublimation.