How We React To Adversity, Part 1
As I was scrolling down the social media lazily, I stumbled upon this characteristic of myself.
Though accidental, an interpretation of my personality couldn’t have passed me in a more appropriate time. This acted as a catalyst to dive into the subject of… How We React to Adversity.
Personally, it has been a challenging couple of years with a rollercoaster of emotions with different setbacks. I had considered what these setbacks have had on my thought processes, perception of life events and other people and importantly on my mental and physical health.
I had thought of myself to be a strong person thus far and like many of you my life hasn’t been plain sailing by any account. And yet the effect of some events has had more profound effects on me than others. This brought to the surface the one important question “Am I prepared to manage the psychological, emotional and the physiological effects of the unexpected calamity life throws at me”. The answer was much more complex than I expected and only led to more questions.
This coupled with past experiences of others and mine evoked my inquisitive nature to understand how people react to unforeseen circumstances, especially when they are faced with unexpected outcomes and difficult situations. When I began to observe more closely and analyse deeply I began to see how these events effect not only the present but also the future. Is it the human nature, what makes one react in a set way or is there more at play in determining our reactions to events?
Everyone faces adversity at some point in their lives. It is easy to succumb and feel defeated when things go pear-shaped or not according to our plan but the strength is demonstrated by overcoming these challenges.
More importantly, I was perplexed how individuals deal with catastrophes or adversities very differently and how some cope with these circumstances better than others. Some respond in a way which surfaced negativity and fear which developed limiting beliefs and precincts brought to one’s future whilst others chose more productive and optimistic view of the situation.
The results couldn’t have been more distinctive. We have all heard “it’s not what happens to us but how we respond to events that makes all the difference in the end.” It is these set of words which apply when one is faced with adversity. Let us dissect the inner meaning of this.
At the end, the choice how to respond to any situation is equal to everyone and we all have the freedom to choose. So, what does make the colossal difference? is it attitude? Is it our emotions or is it our actions? to each situation. And then some psychologists state, when you have an assertive, comfortable and laid-back attitude your cortisol levels dip making you more attuned to dealing with challenges. There is further explanation how our body language can affect our mind in a positive or negative way. Thoughts and attitudes can change our perceptions and see the experiences in a different way. This will have a direct effect on your feelings, behaviours and outcomes.
The survivors don’t let the adversity define them instead their attitude and beliefs let them thrive under pressure and face challenges on hand with a positive mindset. This in turn opens gateways of opportunities which were not available or overlooked in the past.
Each situation brings with it a leaning opportunity and with that comes valuable lessons. Learning opportunities are all around us even more importantly during the times of difficulty. Once we recognise these as learning opportunities and consider them as life experiences we could then use them to shape our future in a positive way. Knowledge is enhanced with all the life experiences including the challenging ones.
Any event doesn’t equivale to outcome. The outcome is defined by our reactions to these events!!!!!
Originally published in LinkedIn on December 17, 2018
