Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Adversity....

Adversity, a scary word.  The dictionary defines it as:

 1.  a condition of suffering, destitution or affliction
 2.  a calamitous or disastrous experience.

My definition:

 3.  challenges, hardship, intolerance, misfortune, growth, possibility,    vision, work, obstacles, darkness, sin, faith, loneliness, hunger, grace, growth, gratitude, grief.

Now my definition may sound a bit confusing, but I believe that adversity is all those things.  Some of those words are results of adversity, and some of those words are causes of adversity.

"Adversity introduces a man (or woman) to himself."

Been lots of adversity lately!  Not just around the world, not just in our own country, not just in our own towns, but in our families and our own lives.  I see it, I feel it coming from others, I feel it in my own life.  I don't know if there are more bad times now, or if it's just because we see it more because of technology, but what ever it is, challenges are here to stay.

"Growth demands a temporary surrender of security"  I really hate letting go of security.  I guess I need to focus on the word "temporary".  I know when I look back at my life, I am amazed at the growth in my life.

"Within every adversity lies a slumbering possibility"  Robert Schuller
Slumbering is right.  When in the middle of something, it's dang hard to see that possibility.

"The might oak tree was once a little nut that held it's ground."  I think of a particular blogger sweetheart who is experiencing her share of adversity, and I know that if she can just hold her ground.....

"You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out it's neck...."  Boy isn't that the truth.  Sometimes we have to take a chance, stick out our neck to make progress.

"Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up"  Whenever I am in a hard time, it's so hard for me to remember to look up, or drop to my knees for guidance.

"We would never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joys in the world."  We would never learn a thing.

"It's not easy taking my problems one at a time when they refuse to get in line"!  I laugh at this one because it is so TRUE!

"Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture".  Whoa that's a hard one, but possible. 

"Caffeine isn't a drug, it's a vitamin"  What? how did that get in here.

This is the very last one - "Trouble shared is trouble halved"  There is no need to shoulder your problems all by yourself.  It takes a village to raise an idiot, I mean a child, and I am a firm believer it takes friends and family (that you are friends with) to get through adversity.  I know that a lot of people don't want to talk about their problems and believe me I understand that.  But to share your trouble can ease the burden a little.  


6 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

thanks for sharing, dearie, and for the laughs.

i like oaks. :)

Debbie said...

ooohhhh susan, this is wonderful. this is your blog and you should shared both your trials and tribulations!!

it is easy for me to be joyful because i am blessed with so much and my life is easy!!

i always say that adversity does not built character, it reveals it!!

Debbie Jones said...

Great quotes...I love your commentary on each one. So glad you confirmed that caffeine is indeed a vitamin. It surely is in my "alarm clock goes off at 4:30 every morning" world! Enjoy the rest of the week.

Rose said...

I love the one about caffeine...and the one about oak once being a tiny nut that held its ground.
**********
You know some people have so much adversity in their life...and they still remain cheerful.

But I am not one of those people...seems like sometimes I only see the negative or its more that I fear the bad things that could happen.

I come from a long line of worriers...and to people that really know me...they can read my face as easy as you can read a book.

Don't know what I am saying...I guess that everyone has worries. And it is just hard to change how we react.

Janice Grinyer said...

Spent a good portion of yesterdays morning in a doctor's office, discussing, but also having a friendly disagreement over a choice of words - he called them "problems" and I called them "issues". Every time he said the word "problem(s)" I would correct him and say "issue(s)" - he finally stopped me and asked, "what is the difference?"

me - "the word 'problem' is such a nasty word- it sounds like pain and misery have to be involved and i dont really like those things....but an issue, ah an issue is like a quest,like hide and seek, you may not win but you still can make the most of it!" followed by my big toothy grin :D

he used the word "issue" from then on lol

so reading your blog today of your discovery of the synonyms for the word "adversity" made my day ! I am not alone ;) thank you friend!

Florida Farm Girl said...

Yep, we all do that sometimes. Me? I forget to be grateful for all that I have, and the lack of adversity (in the overall scheme of things). Hugs to you, girl.