Reflective Essay Sample: Overcoming Adversity

Adversity is inevitable running from it does not make it lesser or go away running from pain only magnifies the pain and adds to the suffering. Oftentimes our fear of what could happen is far worse than if it did happen. So here are some simple methods that can help you overcome adversity. 

Step one 

Know thy self to know yourself is to be a tree with deep roots when you embrace your true authenticity you will build a foundation from within. You won't be dependent on external forces for validation and therefore external forces will not be able to shake you. If you have a healthy foundation a healthy body a mindset of resilience and a deep understanding of your core values principles and priorities when stormy weather comes around your foundation will hold however if you were weak of heart and mind and look for your identity and others opinions of you or cling to an ideology or material possessions then you will snap like a dead twig when adversity comes around. 

To know yourself on a deep level is to find your purpose if you know your why you can bear it anyhow. Many of us go through life without feeling that we have a real purpose even though every one of us has unique qualities to offer the world. 

So how do you find your purpose? This one simple exercise can be of tremendous help it's a Japanese principle called ikigai. Here you will home in on what you were good at what you love doing what you will get paid to do and what the world needs ask yourself these questions if you're missing one of these foundational pillars you will falter if you're not good at what you pursue then you will quit if you don't love it then you will be miserable if it's something that doesn't pay money then you will be broke and if it's not what the world needs then you won't have any meaningful impact the center of these 4 circles is your sweet spot it's where you will find purpose meaning and sustained success. 

Step 2 

Except that there will be suffering. As the ancient mystics philosophers and prophets say wife is suffering the suffering is an inevitable part of existence even if you spent your entire life in a warm pool binge-watching Netflix and eating cake you will still suffer your loved ones would die you would have negative thoughts and eventually you would deteriorate and die. There is no avoiding suffering but you can either suffer as a victim or you can face adversity voluntarily when you face suffering it certainly gives your suffering meaning. We cannot avoid suffering but we do have the power to face our suffering willingly. When we do this, we embrace that challenge instead of bracing for catastrophe your life will have meaning. 

Step 3

Life’s obstacles in your way are but stepping stones on your journey. We cannot change the external world but we always have the power to change ourselves and that will change the external world. No matter how treacherous your journey maybe you always have the power to change the way you see the adversity before you this is what it means to have free will. We may not be responsible for the world that created our minds but we can take responsibility for the mind with which we create our world. 

Even things that seem far beyond your control when they fall apart and they will you can embrace these events as a lesson life teaches us. Lessons in mysterious ways it is impossible to know if anything is good or bad for the most tragic and painful events often lead to the most profound breakthroughs. The biggest mistakes often lead to the greatest accomplishments if we choose to view adversity through the lens of learning experiences we will grow through adversity. Falling is not failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen. There are no dead ends and there are no failures as long as you see these obstacles as stepping stones on your journey. 

Marcus Aurelius wrote "has anything happened to you? Good, it's supposed to happen." When you face adversity remember this it is not personal things unfold as links in a long causal chain the struggles we face are treating us for a higher purpose we are part of higher wisdom but it's hard to see when we're so close. Step 3 the obstacle is the way. The mighty sequoia tree the largest tree on earth has a seed that is trapped in a pine cone it is only when a fire scorches the forest to conditions get hot enough for the pine cone to split open so the seed can be released and new life can begin. 

The sequoia cannot reproduce without fire. Similarly, this recruit PMR has some of the largest most beautiful insect wings on the planet it also has an incredibly thick cocoon which makes its path to emerge a highly difficult struggle. Many people who own these pets try to help the month break free from its cocoon however the moth's struggle to break out is paramount to its survival because without this adversity its wings do not develop enough strength to open and it will never be able to fly. 

The lesson here is don't abort the process don't cut the cocoon the opposite is giving up the moment something it's hard. We want to escape so we turn to easy comforting addictive behaviors like smoking drinking or our phone. In reality, going into adversity is the path forward the obstacle is the way. Step 4 hold on to what is good. When you're suffering is part of a greater purpose and you see it as an opportunity for growth you will always have something that anchors you to what is good in this world. 

In The Lord Of The Rings - Two Towers, when Frodo tries to abandon the journey Sam says to him, "The old great stories are the ones that matter full of darkness and danger so much so that sometimes you don't even want to know the ending. How can the end be happy, how can the world go back to what it was before everything bad happened? But in the end, it is only a passing thing this shadow and even the darkness will pass and when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer." 

Those are the stories that mean something even if you were too small to understand it folk in these stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn't because they hold on to something good in this world and it is worth fighting for. Meeting change is inevitable no matter how bad things seem always remember that they too shall pass nothing is permanent. The night is always coldest and darkest just before dawn. 

Find what is good in this world family purpose love creativity nature friendship and hold on to that fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and lovely and admirable think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Focusing on good things will keep you from drifting into the darkness of nihilism and loss of meaning. There is a light in every dark place. 

Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it the pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. It's not about denying reality it's about focusing on the positive and extracting the meaning from every obstacle. Because can either be the bars of a mental prison or they can be a key to unlocking your full potential so embrace the suffering faced your adversity voluntarily be grateful for misfortune extract the meaning and hold on to what is good death smiles at us all we can do is smile back.