{"id":9064,"date":"2012-02-02T23:10:10","date_gmt":"2012-02-03T07:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=9064"},"modified":"2013-09-16T14:44:38","modified_gmt":"2013-09-16T22:44:38","slug":"3-ways-to-prepare-for-adversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/3-ways-to-prepare-for-adversity\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways To Prepare For Adversity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When the going gets tough, we tend to seek out those people\u2014and things\u2014that give us the strength to be our best self. We yearn for the feeling that we\u2019ve turned our lives around and are headed for better days.<\/p>\n

Looking for the upside takes our mind off the down times. A positive attitude allows us forget, even for a while, the hardships that face us in many areas of our life.<\/p>\n

Those times of contentment and happiness are wonderful. We need to spend time with them so when times are harder, we can remember the strength they gave us. But to expect those times to last is not realistic.<\/p>\n

Here is the ugly truth: We learn very little by being happy and content. We learn everything by being engaged with the realities of life, especially when it\u2019s hard, confusing, and difficult.<\/p>\n

What are the stories that motivate us? They\u2019re the stories of people who were beaten down by circumstances and defied the odds by pulling themselves up by the bootstraps to achieve the impossible. That\u2019s why we love old western movies and Rocky Balboa.<\/p>\n

The best motivational speakers are those who have been in the trenches and dug down, inside themselves, to find an inner strength that they didn\u2019t know existed. These transformations remind us that we can find our best self too\u2014it just needs to be teased out.<\/p>\n

The unpleasant bits of acid that reality drops into our life every now and then are exactly what we need in order for that best self to thrive. The new science of post-traumatic growth is proving that in the wake of adversity, most people not only recover, they rebound.<\/p>\n

Former Army combat veteran J.R. Martinez embodies the built-in human capacity to flourish even in the most difficult circumstances. Wounded in Iraq and suffering from burns over more than 40 percent of his body, Martinez underwent more than 30 surgeries before beginning a new career as a motivational speaker and winning the 2011 fall season of ABC\u2019s\u00a0 \u201cDancing With the Stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

As powerful as his story is, aren\u2019t we\u2019re all just a little relieved that the trauma didn\u2019t happen to us? Whenever our peace is disturbed by adversity, isn\u2019t our first reaction always something like, \u201cWhy does this have to happen to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

When I was going through the FBI Academy at the age of twenty-five, one of the physical fitness requirements was to dive off a 25 foot diving board while holding an M16 rifle, and then swim to the other side of the pool with the gun. I had two problems: I was afraid of heights, and I couldn\u2019t swim.<\/p>\n

As my training class and instructors waited for me to jump, I seriously doubted that in real life I\u2019d ever need to jump into a pool of water with a M16 while chasing a suspect. This was something I had to do, however, to graduate from the Academy, so I plunged in and bounced back up to the surface\u2014still holding the gun\u2014and then floundered until I made the other side.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until a few years later that I realized the swimming pool test had nothing to do with superior law enforcement techniques. Instead, it taught me that those who keep their back straight when confronted with uncomfortable challenges or conflict will inspire others around them. Everyone knew I was afraid of the jump, but it was something that I needed to do. Once I took the plunge, the by-product was two-fold. First, I earned respect from my classmates; and second, I learned that when the chips were down, I could achieve more than I dreamed possible.<\/p>\n

How can you gird yourself and prepare for adversity and future down times? There are many ways, but here are three simple and positive approaches:<\/p>\n

1. Surround yourself with people who believe in you<\/p>\n