We all experience adversity at some point in our lives. Adversity can range from the speedbumps we encounter daily –a bad grade on a tough exam, a disagreement with a friend, or just trying to keep up—to more serious, or even catastrophic hardships. These can include being diagnosed with cancer, losing a loved one, or being fired from a job.
Knowing that adversity is unavoidable is the first step in overcoming it. In fact, you can mentally prepare yourself for almost any challenge in life, even before it occurs, by changing your mindset. You start by understanding that adversity is expected. The natural tendency of parents is to protect their children, to shield them from bad things, to stop them from crying. Though understandable, the pendulum often swings too far, such that “everyone gets a trophy” or “there are no losers.” The problem is, as these children become adults, they soon realize that there are, indeed, “winners” and “losers” and that it takes resilience and perseverance to move forward, win or lose.
Here is a real life example. With the Super Bowl around the corner, my hometown Eagles need to face one of the most successful quarterbacks of all time, Tom Brady. Yet, what many people forget is that Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round, overall 199th pick, when he entered the NFL. A study of Tom Brady’s success has as much to do with his mental attitude and his approach to life, as it does his football skills. Similarly, the late Steve Jobs will be remembered for his success with Apple, but his success came only after a series of failures, including being a college dropout, later fired as a tech executive, and even near bankruptcy! Many see Steve Jobs as one of the best examples of how to overcome adversity and achieve success.
What Tom Brady and Steve Jobs have in common is that they don’t see adversities as obstacles.
Most of all, they don’t see setbacks as failures. They see these moments as opportunities. They look at the challenges that they have faced in life as great learning experiences to do things differently, to improve, to succeed. They picture the end zone, or they visualize the next disruptive technology, and in doing so, they remain focused on the task at hand until they achieve their goals.
Even physical impairments can be overcome. Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, or physicist and author, Stephen Hawking, come to mind. Even when facing death, Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, overcame the pain and sorrow of his cancer with his now famous “Last Lecture.” There are countless stories of heroes like Professor Pausch who teach us how to face adversity, how to survive, and yes, how to be successful till the end.