The Advantage of Adversity
If I had a penny for every time I heard someone say, “I came from nothing”, I’d have a load of pennies. I get where they’re coming from, but the person saying it was often born in a developed country and had many of the comforts we’ve become accustomed to. So, in essence, they came from ‘little’ and not ‘nothing’.
Warren Buffett has repeatedly said, “I didn’t get money from my parents, and I really didn’t want it. But I was born at the right time and place. I won the ‘Ovarian Lottery.’ “
My own story is just that. I was born in a hospital in London, England, a ‘safe’ country. I had loving parents, but we had little. I was, however, born with common sense and drive. If you’re born with these two traits, everything else will fall in line.
But you have to navigate a lot of adversity. There’s no way around that.
On the flip side, those who were born into abundance (one might say they “came from everything”) do not have the “advantage of adversity”.
As I’ve matured, I’ve learnt what a blessing adversity can be. Without it, you’ll inevitably be less motivated, and often one can notice the lack of drive in others.
Adversity comes in different flavours, and the world will test you in different ways. Some receive more than others. Life’s not fair. Some examples are self-doubt, poverty, losing loved ones, career struggles, health challenges, and relationship breakups.
If you are fortunate to beat adversity through hard work, intuition, and character, this will likely lead to massive success. Moreover, it will shape you into a well-respected member of society.
Overcoming adversity is, however, not an isolated event. It’s an ongoing pursuit that never ends. I’m certain the people who reach the pinnacle of any craft/career/profession have navigated enormous amounts of adversity and that most of them have reframed their own stories through the lens of the ‘advantages of adversity’.
When people tell you their life woes, which will mean a lot to them, it’s the story they’ve been telling people and themselves. They frame it as their adversity has been a disadvantage. Next time someone shares with you tales of adversity, tell them, “Isn’t it great? You’ve benefitted from the advantage of adversity.”
I hope this reminder will help you reflect on your past and present adversities and encourage you to see these as an advantage, not a disadvantage. You fail your way to the top. Keep failing, keep falling, and keep your eye on the prize.
