It seems to be quite common today that no one wants to face adversity, little lone embrace it. Those of us who do are gaining all the valuable lessons and at the same time getting all the valuable riches. But why is that? Its simple really, without adversity there is no triumph, without triumph there is no real meaning to your life. You NEED adversity, so why is everyone trying to avoid it like the plague?
Simple, we humans are inherently lazy creatures. We want everything to come easier than it often does. In fact we expect it to come easier. This way of thinking is detrimental to our mental and emotional development. We as a culture have become complacent and soft. This happens when peacetime persists. War, famine, plagues, and death help to harden a society. When these are far and few it helps to perpetuate complacency. With complacency comes entitlement. They seem to go hand in hand, helping us to go skipping albeit miserably down the road to perdition.
So what can you do about it? If this culture and or society is weak what steps can you take to change it? Easy, seek out adversity or at the least don't avoid it. If you're young (20's) joining the Armed Services is a good idea to help with this problem. They know how to serve up adversity and help motivate you to overcome it. If that seems a bit too much or you're older (30+) then here is a short list to help you.
1. Lift Heavy Things-
Lifting weights or doing hard manual labor has so many benefits that they require entire books on the subject to fully explain them all. The easy explanation is;
Its hard, you get sore, you have to come back even when it hurts, you get stronger, you lift more, your get sore again, you get stronger, repeat, repeat, repeat.
2. Eat Healthy-
This sounds so simple and it is but that doesn't mean its easy, as anyone who has done it will attest. Counting calories is the easiest way to loose weight (fat) while counting macros is the easiest way to maintain lean muscle. These are best when used in conjunction with one another. duh.
3. Join a competitive sport-
Doesn't matter which one though they're not all created the same. Since non of us are probably being scouted to play for the pros its whichever appeals to you the most. I personally would rank them something like this, easiest to hardest.
10. Golf 9. Softball 8. Volleyball 7. Running 6. Soccer 5. Basketball 4. Tennis 3. Hockey
2. jui jitsu 1. MMA/MuayThai/Boxing.
(no football doesn't make the list because most of us never play it after high school)
ya I'm biased, who isn't. Either way sports involve winning and losing, the antithesis to entitlement, you have to work to win no one hands it to you, if you don't you absolutely will lose which in turn will make you hunger for triumph, and when you do win you will feel amazing, the glory is worth it for most, just ask any competitor.
There are plenty of other great ways to face down adversity, from starting your own business to just finishing that project you began months ago. Whatever you decide make sure going forward that you won't take the easy path, because doing so is actually a trap that leads you right where you didn't want to go in the first place. Do the hard work and you will help keep yourself from having a shit life.
