The Importance of Adversity in Your Life
11 Comments
from rosie_hardy
In a few days’ time, it will be my 3rd year in internet marketing and I want to share my experience in this blog post.
This blog post is not about how much money I made or how I made my money.
This blog post is about myself, my true self as a human being and how my adversity in my life had given me strength to be who I am today.
This blog post is about my mindset and how it has successfully shaped my destiny.
I am a mild stutterer and still is. No point hiding it. I am a human after all.
Yes, I have my adversity in my life and it is not always that my life is smooth.
(If my life is smooth, I won’t be where I am today.)
If you are not aware of who a stutterer is, a stutterer is someone who will at times may not have a smooth speech and for myself, I tend to repeat some syllabus before being to say the whole word.
It is largely due to my anxiety which I can’t manage really well. 🙂
(Different stutterers are unique and they have different speech difficulties. And do you know that 1 percent of the world’s 6,000,000,000 population stutter.)
In this post, I am going to share how I being a mild stutterer has shaped who I am today.
In these many years of struggling to be my real self and being successful in my own rights, it has been a roller coaster ride for me and I must admit there are times I was almost defeated by the immense obstacles and burdens I have laid in front of me and upon myself.
Some times I am laughed at. Yes, it does make me feel bad and inferior and I do cry at times (mostly at nights), asking myself why is it so unfair to me. (I am a human after all)
It was literally like my endless fighting with no sense of hope. I was on the verge of giving up at many times. I just couldn’t see where I am going.
Wondering if you have ever felt this way before?
I am always “hoping” one day when I wake up, my stuttering problem will miraculously disappear and I will be able to speak smoothly.
Fat hope! :_(
As you know, it never happens. I still do stutter at times and it was lately I have come to an acceptance that it is here to stay with me.
Yes, I am still stutterer and this is me…
* * *
How did stuttering help me end up where I am today?
To set the stage right, I am just like any other person, just like you and me.
I am lucky to stutter since I was age 14 when I lost my father.
Do not be shocked why I defined as having a difficulty in life makes me lucky.
When I was much younger, I froze while queuing up, unable to make orders of what I wanted. I would always order food which I felt I can pronounce.
One day (after 8 years of stuttering when I was 21), I made up my mind that this shouldn’t be the way.
Yes, I do have this adversity but do I have to let it dictate what I want in my life?
I made up my mind…it is not going to be this way.
* * *
I have also set my mind to owning my business and retiring by the age of 35…so that I do not need to go for any interview and find myself stuttering throughout the interview. (The panel may have found me to be some “weirdo”)
Anyway, what I want to say here is anyone (including us) will have to face some adversity at certain point in our lives.
Some of us may have physical disability. Others may have emotional ones.
Some of us may have unhappy childhood. Others may have tormenting ones.
Some of us may have fears and worries. Others may have phobias that haunt you every day.
Yes, we can’t control our past but we do certainly can control the present and how we perceive ourselves in the future.
I know it is not easy.
Back to my stuttering, I can make a choice.
Either cower in fear and always feeling myself as the poor victim, always being beaten by the ghost in me.
Or stand up, face my ghost, focus on my strength and strive forward with my head held high.
The difference maker is we stand up and fight.
Will you stand up and fight too…with your head held high?
Who you want to be? It is your choice.
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11 Responses to “The Importance of Adversity in Your Life”
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Hey John,
Great post! I find it very bold that you are able to speak openly about such personal things. Real men cry and real men talk about feelings.
My personal struggle is my mind. I have been through an major depression and have had anxiety problems. If I don’t take care of my self (Eat right, exercise, personal development) then I am only a few days away from severe anxiety and panic attacks. I remember avoiding friends and trips because I was not sure how I would feel. Through research I have found that it is due to overactivity in the ACG area of my brain.
This is the best thing that has happened to me as it has forced me to not only take care of myself but also commit to personal development.
I have an understanding of your pain.
Thanks for the post
John
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for your sharing too.
I feel it is not much about what sort of challenges we are facing. It is more about we do about it.
I always believe in taking actions – Taking actions on making a difference in your life, be it personal health or business building.
This superior mindset of action taking will set you aside and place you on the top 10% of the world’s population! =)
Hi John,
I think everybody will have a personal life challenge and everyday we have stresses and worries…wow….new ones tomorrow or repetitions of ones I worried today and which are yet to be resolved.
Not to worry…I respect you…you are really my inspiration in the sense you work hard for your goal and your dreams…
So I made my choice…to be like you! =)
Thanks for the great inspiring post!
Hello John everyday i waiting your new post because so so great your explain and tips …
Hi John,
I love ya’ post…it is so inspiring…I can’t believe you are so open to sharing who you really are….not something I have seen in other marketers… =)
I think you really deserve all the respect from me…look forward to reading more of your posts.
Susan
John, thanks for being open and courageous in your sharing. Everyone of us goes through life’s ups and downs. I am glad that you turned something bad into something good in your life. Really appreciate this sharing, my friend! 😉
Hi John, I’m really surprised to read so stright feelings of your past life.
Some years ago, at 16 years old, I was operated two times at head, I lost all my friends and I had some health problems.
I have so many difficults and so many medicines that I take also today at 27 years old.
That let end my youth before the correct time, and take any coming disease with more fear than before.
The life sometimes is really bad, but for me the best thing is alive.
With a life to rebuilt from zero but alive.
And the life appear to be more good than before, day by day.
So I hope everyone can solve any life problem and come to a perfect state of mind.
Thanks for all and goodbye.
Alessandro
Thank you John.It’s like you wrote this article because of me.Its really inspiring
Hi John
Thanks for sharing this with us. It took courage.
You’re absolutely right-on saying that our challenges can be blessings in disguise.
Like you,I spent many years as a stutterer(with a lisp). The stage fright and painful shyness that went with this held me back from my personal calling- to help people find and live their best and brightest dreams.
The only way to live my life’s mission was to face and overcome my challenges.Did I fail? Lotsa times- but I kept trying…
I still stutter sometimes.I still sometimes lisp- but I also teach,am a public speaker and stretch my boundaries in other ways in order to be of service.
My challenges do not determine who I am.
John, I’m glad you’ve chosen to face your challenges and live beyond them. I’d bet that having challenges has made you a stronger, better person than someone who’s never had any and has put you in the postion to help other folks (like me).
Hang strong
Catherine
Thanx for the honest sharing, John. Encouraging.
Dear John
You have great courage and many admirers. Adversity
can open new doors in your life and you have proved it.
Godbess you
Maryanne