Why You Should Stay Strong During Periods of Adversity

Greater Resilience

Resilience (or personal power as it is called in shamanic traditions) is the ability to get through difficult times and bounce back afterward. It’s a virtue many people don’t possess. Unfortunately for them, it’s a quality that everyone needs because of the unpredictable nature of life which always brings challenges.

The chaotic nature of life leaving you smiling in the morning and crying in the evening requires mental & psychological strength to stay strong in the face of adversity. Only resilient people can “endure the storm” and still reach their destinations.

Lack of resilience is the reason people suffer from mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. It’s also the reason some people feel that the best decision during the dark days is to take their lives. So it’s crucial to build a resilient spirit. However, you can never achieve this inner state of being if you have never had the need to strengthen yourself against Life’s difficulties and get through the “storm”.

It’s adversity that trains you to be mentally strong. When you face a challenge consciously, knowing that it is a challenge not a disaster, allowing yourself to see it as life training and not as a punishment, and you come out on the other side victorious, you have increased your level of resilience. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should crave and desire to be in unpleasant situations.

However, when you find yourself in one, see it as an opportunity to build your mental strength for the future.

Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills

Just like resilience, problem-solving skills aren’t inherited. They are acquired as a result of facing and overcoming “problems”. You cannot know how to solve a problem if you don’t have the right attitude. Your attitude is your mental disposition to a particular thing or situation that triggers a specific behavioral pattern. When you have the right attitude, you will believe that every problem has a solution, and it challenges you for a reason, even when you don’t have the answers yet.

That positive state of mind will inspire you to ask the right questions from within and from the right people and eventually find ways to solve the problem. Indeed, the right mindset will take you far. It will make you strong, tough inside. However, you cannot solve a problem unless you have the skills. You need to know how to tackle a challenge and nothing gives you that better than when you have dealt with a similar problem in the past. So, when you face a challenge and overcome it, you have enhanced your ability to solve problems. You will be able to use the experience to solve similar problems in the future. You know what to do, and that gives you an edge over others who are new to such situations.

Leadership Skills

Leaders are chosen and trusted because of their experience and capabilities. No one wants to hire a driver who has never driven a car before. You want a person you can trust to get you to your destination with minimal stress. When you have faced adversity in the past, and you stood your ground, your qualities as a leader will be enhanced. People will naturally want to trust you.

You’ll command their respect when they know that you have been through similar situations before and succeeded. Great leaders are men and women who can keep a calm head in a storm.

They are the ones others trust as a source of inspiration when reality strikes. Everyone needs that leader that will stir up optimism during the dark days when giving up and surrendering seems like the obvious choice.

People always need people they can believe in. They want to believe in you. They want to be sure that you know what you are doing, even when what you are saying doesn’t make sense to them. It is the days of adversity that prepares you for such a sensitive role.

Higher Self-Esteem

It’s natural that you’ll have a sense of accomplishment after overcoming a challenge. You’ll be proud of yourself, and this improves the way you see yourself. You will see yourself as a person that deserves the respect and love of others because you can add value to your and to other people’s lives. When you have low self-esteem, you most likely are inefficient. Your level of efficiency is the same as your level of confidence in your ability to succeed at a task before performing it.

When you have low self-esteem, people will find it difficult to trust you to handle their projects, which can also take its toll on your chances of getting a job. It will also make others not want to trust you to lead them. They will see you as a person who cannot lead himself or herself and think that you should not talk of leading others. Low self-esteem can also affect your chances of making new friends, which can be socially damaging.