3 Powerful Lessons To Overcome Adversity

Have you ever felt frustrated with your life? Maybe you’re struggling with relationships and feeling trapped and unfulfilled. Or maybe you’re living paycheck to paycheck and don’t seem to ever have enough money. Could it be that you’re like 70% of the country that say they actually hate their jobs? Or, your life just feels empty and meaningless and a part of you knows that there must be more to life than what you’re currently experiencing.

I can definitely relate because I’ve been there and I know exactly how it feels to be frustrated with life. You see back in 1989 I had gone through a divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure and a deep state of depression and to say that I was frustrated with life would be a gross understatement. My life was a complete mess and I had no idea how I had arrived at that point.

I had done everything society says I was supposed to do to be happy. I had the wife, the house, the 2.5 kids (who came up with that by the way?) the good paying job with the 401K and on the surface it looked as if I were really successful. So there I was living the American Dream, but within the span of approximately six years my dream turned into a nightmare as I experienced all of the adversities I just mentioned. I was frustrated and confused and had no idea how I was going to turn my life around. During the darkest period of my life I reached a point where I felt so helpless and hopeless that I even contemplated taking my own life.

But as fate would have it I received a divine miracle. During that dark period in my life I was sitting up late one night because I couldn’t sleep because of my depression. As I sat on the edge of my bed I looked across the room at my bookcase and I noticed that all of the books had something to do with making money. As I sat there staring at the books, all of a sudden this question just popped in my mind. It came from a voiceless voice within me that I have come to know as the voice of my Higher Self.
The question it posed was this: “Michael, what if you took all of the energy and effort you’ve used in trying to get rich and simply figure out how to be happy?”

As unbelievable as this may sound that question literally changed my life in an instant. As I pondered the question something inside of me shifted. In that moment I had a sense of clarity and optimism that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. All of a sudden the clouds that had been hanging over me dissipated and the sunlight of truth shone in and I had a completely different outlook on life. In that moment I intuitively knew that I would have to begin an inner journey that would help me rekindle my joy and find the true happiness my heart longed for.

As a result of that one simple questio
I went on an amazing quest of healing and transformation. I immersed myself in personal development books and programs and reignited my inner fire of being alive. I became obsessed with a passion to find out how to be authentically happy with my life and myself and I knew that I was capable of completely transforming my life.

As a result of my commitment to my own inner healing and transformation, I can honestly say that in this very moment as I’m writing this I am happier now tha
I’ve ever been in my life. The joy I feel on a regular basis is nondescript and I can honestly say that the joy I feel was worth all of the pain. Was it easy? Absolutely not! It’s taken approximately 20 years of self-introspection and personal growth to get to this point in my life. During that time I read literally hundreds of books, attended hundreds of hours of seminars and workshops that submersed me into some of the most emotionally, psychologically and spiritually challenging experiences of my life. But was it worth it? Unequivocally yes! As a matter of fact, if I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing because I recognize that every adversity taught me something about myself that helped me become a better person. If I changed anything, even the most painful parts I wouldn’t be the man that I am today.

If you relate to my story and are experiencing some frustrations or adversities in your life, I’d like to share three important lessons that I believe can help you overcome the frustrations you may be experiencing right now. These three lessons helped me rebuild my life and if applied, I know they can empower you to overcome the adversities in your own life.

Lesson #1. You must take 100% responsibility for your life.

This is possibly the most difficult lesson you must learn. It is human nature to place blame and point fingers at others when things go wrong in your life. After my divorce I blamed my ex-wife, society and even my race for my failures. It wasn’t until I made the conscious choice to take complete responsibility for my life that I gained the power to transform it. By making this choice I no longer remained a victim of my circumstances and it gave me access to my real authentic internal power.

Lesson #2. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Changing your life and yourself is difficult; actually it’s pretty darn hard. People will try and convince you to seek quick fixes and take the easy way out. This never works. Everything you want is just outside of your comfort zone and there can be no growth without discomfort. Be willing to get uncomfortable and challenge yourself to face your fears and move past your insecurities.

Lesson #3. Develop an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude is a powerful tool that can support you in overcoming most obstacles in your life. Having an attitude of gratitude really helped me overcome most adversities in my life. No matter how difficult my life became I always found something to be grateful for. You too can find something in your life to be grateful for. No matter what challenge you may be facing right now, rest assured that you still have something to be grateful for. A simple exercise you can do that will reap huge dividends is to commit to writing a gratitude list. All you have to do is write down five things you have to be grateful for every day for seven days. It’s best to do it right before you go to bed. Simply keep a pad and pen next to your bed and right before you go to sleep write down five things you are grateful for. Don’t just think about them! Write them down! If you do this for seven consecutive days I can promise you that you will see a change in your attitude. So just remember to count your blessings not your problems.

If you commit to these three simple lessons you will be able to use life challenges as stepping-stones to live the life of your dreams.

Good luck!