What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger: The Benefits of Adversity

Adversity can make you bitter or better. It’s as easy as interchanging one letter in the middle of the word. It’s all up to you how you handle the tough things in life. If what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, then those facing adversity should have superpowers. We’ll take a look at ways adversity can help you in life.

Strengthened Willpower

No one truly welcomes tough times. We cringe at the thought of the tough road ahead. We take the easy path avoiding hard times. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower to welcome the storm. The more we embrace the storm, the tougher we become. When we put ourselves in the eye of the tornado, we’re forced to face the rain. Our willpower muscles are built and get stronger each day. It’s not easy to face the uphill road, but your willpower puts up a good fight, and you win in the end.

Builds Character

Adversity gives you a chance to build character. Adversity helps you become a strong person with a tough character. If you never face adversity, you stay the same potted plant. It helps you create confidence that you can overcome the tough stuff. It brings out parts of your personality that you never knew existed. The mental toughness of your real character is shown when you go through the toughest circumstances.

Creates Resilience

When you’re faced with the hardest things in life, you must address them, which creates resilience. This means our minds and bodies are tested. We have to figure out a way as humans to get through tough times. After we’re through, we realize that we did it. We’re resilient, and we can face anything that comes our way.

Learn From Being Uncomfortable

No one enjoys a bad night of rest. Discomfort makes us crabby. We learn after a long night of sleeping wrong that our entire body is thrown out of whack. The same thing happens with adversity. We learn from this discomfort. As a result, we figure out the best ways to handle the uncomfortable times. We think of new ways to deal with them. We’re better able to fight them the next time they pop up.

Becoming A Relatable Leader

Leaders that haven’t been through adverse situations cannot adequately handle leadership. Think of the President of the United States never went through hardship. They wouldn’t know how to relate to all kinds of people. If you want to be a leader that is able to stand on their own while relating to others, you must face tough times.

Prepare for Greatness

The hottest fires are able to produce the strongest pieces of steel. The same goes for adversity. When you’re in the middle of the fire, you’re growing in strength. You’re able to find your way out with confidence. This means you’re ready for anything. Before greatness, a person was just an infant. They had to grow and learn to be great. Superheroes were born with power but had to sharpen those skills over time. Adversity is paving the way for your own greatness.

We Learn Limitations

Limitations limit your control. Adversity helps you realize these limitations. You never know what you can accomplish in life if you don’t have certain limits. If you don’t have a budget, you could go wild with whatever you planned to do or buy. When you have limitations, you have to make tough decisions. This helps you grow and move forward in life.

Building Emotional Muscles

When you lift weights, your muscles get stronger. When you challenge your brain, your brain gets stronger. The same goes with your emotional muscles. The unknown is scary. Once you face it, you get through it, knowing you have the ability to wade through the deep waters. Your emotional muscles are building along the way. They’re better able to handle each challenge as it comes. Without this adversity, your emotional muscles would be the same as when you were an infant. You would cry at every little thing you didn’t understand.

 Overall, no one gets excited when tough times arrive in their life. It’s often scary and uncertain. Think of it as a learning time to grow. It might not work out in your favor, but you could also come out of adversity a better individual. Try to focus on becoming better instead of bitter through adversity.