Adversity builds character
Facing a setback? Read this.
In the face of disappointment, it's natural to seek justifications for our failures or dwell on missed opportunities. As blunt as it sounds, they are mere coping mechanisms we all employ— some shut out, others cry, and many turn to friends for solace.
However, what truly matters is how we bounce back. As clichéd as it sounds, all that crap about “it's not about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up” is actually true.
Nothing builds character like adversity. Just ask Japan or Singapore. It is just as true for people as it is for geographies. What is your adversity? Where is our hero’s journey? Many of us have been sheltered in safe, coddled environments. While it is great for comfort, it is also a thorn in our efforts to grow and become an ever-elusive best version(s) of ourselves.
Yes, it is very easy to say this when you are not the one caught in the eye of the storm, but the only way out is through. Every person I admire has had their fair share of challenges and setbacks. One of the most brilliant individuals I know took a huge risk, foregoing a top business school that wasn't his first choice, spending a year as office help at an investment bank before ultimately attending his dream school. A close friend endured years in consulting, weathering rejection after rejection, in efforts to make a transition into what he loved: building products, before finally finding his footing in tech.
The more ambitious our goals, the more vulnerable we leave ourselves to setbacks and failures. But the only way to improve at this game of life is to take chances, knowing full well they have the power to crush you. The cheat code lies not in avoiding getting crushed but cultivating the will to rise again. Adversity builds character.
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