Tag: Adversity

The Light Inside the Dark

One of the most profound symbols we have on this planet is the ancient Chinese yin/yang symbol. If you spend some time with it, it will reveal some very essential keys to a life well-lived. Take a moment and really look at it. Can you see how the dark and the light are nestled together? They aren’t at war with one another. In fact, they literally complement each other. What this symbol is saying is something so often overlooked – that both dark and light are essential in life. If you observe your mind closely, you will see that it…

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Why Are We Here?

We are all searching for something that will answer those two questions that lurk within in our thoughts, especially when we are flummoxed by life. Why are we here? What purpose do we serve? In my view, there is a perpetual, yet virtual lock on the true answer, yet we hold the key to unlock the question. We may have trouble arriving at the answers and, despite our best efforts, we never get the answer we seek. Despite our struggle, we must persevere. Each of us fulfills a divine purpose that was etched out fully by our creator, long before…

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4 Lessons for Moving Forward

In life we will all experience ups and downs, happiness and despair and opportunity and hopelessness. And at some point we'll get stuck. Paralyzed by uncertainty that lies in front of us, we stop moving forward. We plan, analyze and try to predict. But we get nowhere because the future seems so complicated and uncertain. Stressed and anxious about an unpredictable and disorderly future, we stop growing and fall down a spiral of worry and hopelessness. It is right then that I believe what really matters is that we keep moving forward. That we accept that life is not perfect…

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Choose to Triumph Over Your Challenges

I often find myself thinking, "There is so much more to do in this great life"! Each of us is faced with challenges and obstacles and there are of course times where we don't know how we will get through a situation. It is our attitude and our mindset that paves the way and determines whether we will sail or stumble. If we allow fear and doubt to pile up on top of our challenge, there is no question we will have a heavy walk in front of us. It is not easy at first but if you choose to…

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15 Reminders for Facing Adversity

Two things can happen when your world turns upside down with tragedy, such as blindness or the murder of your child. Either your life becomes a mess or you reach deep within. Choose the latter and, through the power of God at work, you become the messenger of the greatness that is yours to share. And while sharing, there's a secret to live the abundance of life, to relish in the richness of each day and to delight in success and triumph. And that triumph isn't in a book or hidden in mysteries untold, or even in philosophies to ponder…

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Finding Your New Strength In Adversity

There is a story of little girl in church with too much energy. She kept standing up on the chair and her mother kept pulling her down, but she would just keep getting right back up. Frustrated, her mother pulled her down again and put her hand heavy on her little girls head, pushing her down into a sitting position. The little girl sat there for a while, then began to smile. Then she said, "Mom, you know what, I may be sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside!" This is the attitude of…

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5 Positive Ways You Can Manage Adversity

I believe strongly that what you put out in this world, you get back. I did not always think this way, and unfortunately it took a life-altering event to show me the correct path for me to follow. I suffer from a debilitating disease which tests my strengths daily. Here are five things that I live by and pass along to as many people as I can! 1. Positivity creates positive results. Karma? If you surround yourself with dark, depressing negative thoughts or people, then you will lean towards that yourself. That is not a happy, nor a healthy, way…

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- Some hurdles in life may be higher to jump because of where you started, but make no mistake: all are possible to clear!
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5 Concepts for Overcoming Challenges

When adversity strikes and overtakes many or all areas of our lives, it can be difficult to see the multiple hidden blessings that are obtained by moving through our challenges, one day at a time. Adversity provides us with the chance to remove things from our lives that are non-essential and have been weighing us down. Just as important, adversity makes the overcomer a better person, as the spoils of war are available to those who refuse to quit and succumb to their current tragic circumstances. We learn how to become resilient, how to step out in faith, and how…

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Today’s Brilliance from Dr. Ervin Laszlo

You, the young people of today, are the most privileged people who have ever lived on Earth. For the first time in history, one generation—your generation—holds the key to the greatest challenge humans have faced since they became conscious of themselves and the world. It's the challenge of change: timely change. The world your fathers and forefathers have created is no longer sustainable. This means that if it doesn't change, it will break down. It cannot keep going as it is. Financial crisis and climate change are just the most visible of the many untenable conditions in the world. Urban…

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Today’s Brilliance from Tony Volpentest

At 15 months old, I pulled myself up and took my first steps in my family's suburban Seattle living room, walking stiff-legged across the carpeted floor. While most parents consider this a milestone of child development, for my parents this simple act was nothing short of miraculous. You see, I was born without hands and feet and I have been proving the experts wrong ever since. First walking unassisted, and eventually doing the unimaginable--becoming a world-class sprinter, winner of four gold medals and nominated to the Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2012. My motto has always been, 'If you…

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Sponsored: One Door Closes

Are you looking for a vehicle to break through the roadblocks and detours that have sidetracked you on life's highway? One Door Closes: Overcoming Adversity By Following Your Dreams presents the inspiring stories of 16 individuals from all walks of life who have triumphed over seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve their dreams. They share a road map guiding readers to discover how to live life with vision, courage, determination and passion. Also included are 10 holistic self-assessment tools readers can use to design their own, personal blueprint for success. One Door Closes will help you to clarify and set your goals, and then use the power you already have within to achieve your goals. Discover how to reach your dreams and be inspired!

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What You See is What Will Be

There was a time back, long ago, when knowing each other’s deficits was important. In fact it was critical to our survival. But today we live in a time when our environment can literally make up for any of our shortcomings. We have evolved past the need to link deficiencies with survival. Unfortunately, our instincts have not. Despite overwhelming evidence—the blind man with incredible hearing, the deaf woman highly attuned to body language, the dyslexic student with powerful memorization—society is too accustomed to seeing the world in terms of deficits and exceptions. And so are we. In trying to improve,…

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Find Your Motivation, and Find Your Way to Success

After I resigned my military commission as a naval officer because I lost motivation from the Vietnam War, I wondered what I could do for my future to make my life worthwhile. My best high school friend was in town as a civil rights lawyer and asked if I wanted to watch him argue a case for Cesar Chavez’s fledgling union against wine growers’ attorneys. His arguments demolished the private property claims of the ten slick business attorneys for the wine industry who tried to paint the farm workers as law-breaking scum. I was convinced I could never do anything so…

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How To Use The Mantra, “Just This Much”

If you watch your mind, you will see that it goes into the past or future all day long.  It especially loves to go into the future and when it really gets activated, it moves from a whole different place.  It will convince you that that you can’t do it right, or you can’t do it at all, or something bad is going to happen, and the thoughts go on and on.   These thoughts are just not true because we don’t know what is going to happen.  All we have is this present moment, but you can begin to see…

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You Can’t Do It Alone: The Power of Community

It is only in the most recent history that people subscribe to the ideal of "independence," of doing it on your own, of not needing anybody to support you. And in concept, this may be a good idea but only as a concept. We have millions of years of a genetic heritage that argues for community and we have maybe 75 to 100 years that argues for independence. Human beings have survived out of their interdependence, not their independence. When infants are born they are completely helpless and would surely perish if not for the love and care given by…

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Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms

It is far too easy to get caught up in all the noise, chatter and distractions that come our way. Maintaining focus in the chaos is often a mighty challenge. In times of our greatest crises the power of doubt, fear, stress and anxiety has enormous force. As this adversity grips us, something as simple as finding peace and maintaining confidence can be incredibly difficult. As I lived through the early experiences of my youngest son's addiction, I found myself completely distracted by his every move, thought, action, and decision. I became uncontrollably focused on saving him from his illness…

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Are Those Heavy Burdens Actually A Gift?

Nature always teaches us lessons, if we just pay attention. Today, my husband and I went for a snowshoe hike by our home in Glacier National Park, with Koda (our 6 year old Samoyed). The snow was deep and beautiful. The temperature was just above freezing and unfortunately, instead of the forecast for several inches of new snow gently falling, it was lightly raining. The heavy snowpack from the last week combined with the wet, falling rain, increased the burden being placed on the trees, weighing them down with large piles of heavy, wet snow. Some of them were bent…

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