Adversity, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as ‘a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune.’ Throughout our lives we have all dealt with adversity whether it be bombing a test or learning that a family member has died. We all have our ways of dealing with this adversity too. Some of us may want to take out our anger on something while others find a peaceful way of coping with the adversity we were dealt. The question still is though, what should we do when we experience adversity?

While there is no single good way to deal with adversity there are some that work better than others. The method that I have found to be most helpful is to confide in God. God knows what we are going through and through his Word he tells us that life will give us troubles, but he will always keep us safe. Through the words of Peter, God says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” In the Bible, God tells us over and over again that everything will be fine as long as we trust in Him. There is no better way to deal with adversity than to go to God in prayer, because he is the only person who will always listen to you. God knows what is best for you and he knows everything you have been going through.

Another great way to deal with adversity is to talk to family and close friends. Jim Butcher gave one of the best quotes about this, “When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you with flinching – they are your family.” Family is one of the most important things in life; they are there to celebrate with you when things go well, and they are there to comfort you when you are down. Just like God, no matter what happens your family will always be right by your side fighting your battles with you. True friends, like family, are also always going to be there with you. Sometimes your closest friends knows more about you than your family, so they would also be a great place to go to. Friends that really care will rush to you when you are in need like it says in this quote, “True friendship isn’t about being there when it’s convenient; it’s about being there when it’s not.” I believe that this is very true because true friends don’t care if the situation will benefit them in any way or whether it will be a complete waste of time.

Lastly, a great way to deal with adversity can be to follow the 5-step plan detailed by Alex Pirouz, a writer for the Huffington Post. He says that the first step should be to view the problem as having a solution. While some solutions may be easier than others we need to tell ourselves that we can get out of the problem. The second step is to realize that the problem won’t solve itself; we have to take action so that we can learn from the experience. The next step is to reflect on past success and remember that they did not happen just by chance. Think about the things you have done well and the things that you love to do. This will help motivate you to complete the task. Next you should look at the setbacks as a part of growth and understand that they help to develop you in whatever you are doing. We have to have the right mindset in order to defeat a problem. The last step is to think about the worst possible thing that could come out of the situation and use it to fuel your optimism. You then you those ideas to go on trying to mitigate the situation before it gets an worse.

The main thing to tell yourself during times of struggle is that you can get out of it. With help from God, family, friends, and with our own logic problems can be solved so we can learn from it. “It’s only a mistake if we don’t learn from it.”

Check out the article from the Huffington Post

 

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