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1Adversity

Adversity can be your best friend

Nearly three thousand years ago, the classical author Homer opined, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” Homer is something of an expert on adversity, having penned the great story of the Trojan War in The Iliad and The Odyssey.

On the other side of the world, the Chinese symbol for crisis has a dual meaning: danger and opportunity. That’s an intriguing thought, really. Life is fraught with both danger and opportunity, and when cool heads prevail, opportunity wins most of the time. An Asian adage says, “When fate throws a dagger at you, there are only two ways to catch it: either by the blade or by the handle.”

Remember Mother Teresa’s response to dealing with adversity? “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.”

As you can see, coping with adversity is not unique to any particular culture or any specific era. Modern commentator Paul Harvey put it this way: “In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.”

Adversity is a constant in this world, and none of us are immune to it. It can also be the precursor to wonderful change. A business associate told me he has just learned to “cooperate with the inevitable.” More often than not, he has conquered the inevitable with that attitude.

Retailing giant J.C. Penney was asked the secret of his success. He replied, “Adversity. ...