Vachana Jayaram | Adversity Introduces A Man to Himself

“If the road is easy, you're likely going the wrong way.” - Terry Goodkind

Adversities are a part of life. It is a state of hardship, difficulty or misfortune that one deals with. There are six types of adversity that one can face, i.e. physical, emotional, mental, social & spiritual adversity. Facing adversities in life can make or break a person. How an individual handles an adversity says a lot about them, while providing them with an opportunity to use their prior experience, self-awareness and resilience to overcome such scenarios.

“Challenge and adversity are meant to help you know who you are. Storms hit your weakness, but unlock your true strength.”

― Roy T. Bennett

So, how well do you handle adversity? Do you remain calm, rationalize, and decide on the next steps? Or do you panic and stress about all the things that could go wrong, depending on someone else to help you make decisions? There's also a third type of person who tries to avoid or escape the current situation, hoping that things will magically fall into place without any action.

Whatever personality type you are, being unprepared for any hardship could end up costing you much more than just having to deal with the immediate situation.

How can one prepare themselves for adversity? While some events are more common, like accidents, failing exams, financial struggles or falling ill, others are completely unexpected, like pandemics, rare diseases, calamities, maybe a heart attack with no symptoms or family history and more. There's no right or wrong way or an universal way to prepare yourself.

Based on my own experience, which may be considered morbid by some, subconsciously imagining the worst-case scenarios involving loved ones and myself has helped me face any adversity, including the worst of all, a death in the family, without being completely shaken. This was a coping mechanism I used to deal with the death of my elder brother when I was only 15 years old.

However, I'm not suggesting this is an ideal process for preparing yourself for unexpected events. Here are some best practices that I've learned from studying various perspectives on this topic:

1. Remember that you're stronger than you think. Our minds and bodies are built to handle the worst types of shocks.
2. Trust your instincts. After the initial shock, let your instincts take over. A parent's instincts, for example, work optimally and have saved lives almost all the time.
3. Have a support system. Surround yourself with people who can guide you with a rational mind and not add to the chaos. If you are the one supporting someone else in such a situation, ensure you have a problem-solving mindset to get you through the situation.
4. Stay aware of the happenings around the world and their possible impact on you. This includes accepting the fundamentals of life and death and being aware of day-to-day adversities, like the impact of weather on agriculture or market situations affecting finances or change in international policies on planned education. Having a blind faith that these things will not impact you would not be an ideal way of dealing with upcoming adversities which could be staring at you.
5. Of course, building resilience towards any type of adversity is the only way to move forward and have a positive outlook.

Click the links below to read previously posted articles        

1. Self-images: Their interactions and the impact ?
2. The impact of childhood experiences
3. Are self-esteem and self-image the same?
4. Success doesn't equate to happiness - Story of Deepika Padukone
5. 5 Pointers that help you embrace change
6. Being your own cheerleader during minor setbacks
7. What's in a name? A lot more than you think
8. Top 3 reasons we need a Coach
9. Comparison is the thief of joy
10. Recent Post - How much thinking is overthinking?

In the next few weeks, I'd be covering the following topics.

• 5 pointers that help find ourselves
• We know the 'Why'. Let's focus on the 'How'
• 'Find Your True North' - A keynote speech - Registrations will be opened shortly

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Signing off,

Vachana Jayaram