The Hindu Business Line : Approach adversity humbly and creatively

Behind the so-called ‘deaths by natural causes’ of heart attack and stroke can be major, life-changing adversities like divorce or job loss, says Al Weatherhead in The Power of Adversity ( www.hrpub.com).

“Nor can we rule out personal adversity and its role in distracting us and affecting our judgment at crucial moments, from the pilot landing an airplane, to the mechanic servicing brakes, to the stressed-out mom and dad behind the wheel of the family car running a red light or not seeing a stop sign,” he adds, on an equally sombre note.

However, the book, slated for release in April, is about beating adversity, rather than succumbing to it, based on the author’s experience of bypassing the need for a bypass surgery through ‘healthy food, hard workouts, and appropriate medications,’ as his doctor K. Lance Gould affirms in the foreword.

“Most of us experience monumental periods of adversity – perfectly timed and honed – to burn away our self-deception,” writes Al. “Sometimes we get stuck, so stuck, in fact, that only great pain will impel us to move. It’s then that the power of adversity is revealed. But to see it requires a new way of looking at the world, a radical shifting of perspective.”

One such shift comes as the title of the opening chapter, thus: ‘We’re not meant to be happy… We’re meant to grow.’ Adversity can crush the life and soul right out of a person, but it can be a double-edged sword, so if you approach adversity humbly and creatively, it can set off a powerful and transforming chain reaction, guides Al.

Another shift he recommends is to stop asking, ‘Why me?’ and start saying, ‘Why not me?’ That way, you can rid yourselves of the debilitating anger that comes from your sense of being singled out by adversity, the author counsels.

“In life, virtually everyone is confronted by troubles of one kind or another. It is not what happens to you, but how you respond that’s meaningful.”

Al cautions that the ‘why me?’ entitlement notion that you are at the centre of the universe can lead you ‘to lash out at others through road rage to strangers, thoughtless and cruel remarks to friends and loved ones, and all the other tiny and large acts of cruelty we perpetrate on others and ourselves.’

The greatest stratagem of adversity, as Al decodes, is ‘to distract us with our own heartfelt, masochistic desire to view ourselves as victims.’ That way, says Al, the terrific con on adversity’s part immerses you so deep in self-pity that you can’t whip adversity into line and make it work for you.

His 20-point checklist to master adversity, therefore, has one-liners such as: posistive thinking is imperative; it is luckier to earn than to receive; running away never helps; treat time as your most valuable resource; and come to see problem solving as one of the greatest joys of life.

Mastering adversity is all about choice, declares Al. Never think ‘I have to do it’, instead think ‘I have it to do,’ he recommends.

Start mastering your adversity by dealing positively with the smallest problems you encounter, goads Al. “Then ‘scale up’ that response to effectively deal with the mega-adversity in your life.”

Recommended addition to the adversity attack kit.

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Approach adversity humbly and creatively