Origins of Adversity 

Adversity is born from stories — stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves, about the world — and about our relationship to the past, present, and future.  

The story of adversity begins with a desired destination — a place we want to travel to. Along our path forward lies rocky terrain — difficulties we must traverse from our point of origin. In its humble beginnings, when we zoom in and dissect the womb that brought it into being, adversity tells us something fundamental about ourselves. We, as human beings, have innate drives to seek, find, and forge a path forward. When we tap into this drive, the best version of ourselves is brought into being.

Adversity and its Pathway

Adversity is triggered by external stimuli. The pathway it subsequently travels is influenced by the inner atmosphere it passes through. At the gates of our inner landscape, adversity reaches a crossroads. Inner pollutants can render emotion and thought unbreathable  — we suffocate under the voices of self-doubt, shame, and negativity — among others. It becomes difficult to live within ourselves. 

A fire rages within us. But at our side are conscious will and effort — companions that allow us to cultivate new emotional states that paint new pictures — and douse the flame. This battle with antagonists is, fundamentally, a story about being human. If our personhood is to survive and thrive, we must learn to collaborate with these antagonists. The fire must be tamed — and we must work with the plotline written for us, by us. In this way, passing through adversity is akin to passing through a blacksmith. We are brutally beaten – but forged through fire. 

Navigating Adversity 

If we’re facing adversity, by definition, we’re on a path that is difficult to traverse. Traveling from our point of origin, we may have stumbled across difficult terrain —  in some cases, we require renavigation. Our inner compass requires recalibration to reorient and guide us. Before continuing forward, we must ask ourselves: where are we — and how did we get here? Do we need redirection — why and to where? 

Navigating adversity, secondly, requires the unrelenting strength to endure, both physically and emotionally. If it is endurable, we must simply endure it. And everything is endurable. But it may not be as simple as simply enduring it. Strategies can be consciously and systematically executed, and a protective layer can be subsequently built—insulating us against the ongoing storm. 

The inner layers of physical and emotional well-being, brought into being through adequate sleep, exercise, nutrition, and generative self-narrative — as well as the outer, social layers of supportive family, friends, and purposeful work — come together in concert to cultivate the inner atmosphere that allows us to breathe oxygen into our inner beliefs that fuel us so powerfully — allowing us to tap into the motivational charge that drives us forward — and through obstacles. 

But there must be a certain desire to believe — in self and situation — for this is the charge that gives energy and life to generative emotion, thought, and behavior that has persistence and longevity. Within ourselves, seeds of self-belief cultivate an inner garden that grows from it, the motivational charge that drives us forward. We find a path. 

Seeking, Discovering, and Acquiring Meaning

Along our journey through adversity, the destination is meaning — the light at the end of the tunnel. Meaning is purpose-driven — seeking pleasure from things that bring positive impact to self, others, and world. For meaning to exist, it needs no reasons. Thus, it is guided by emotions — its compass and north star. It thinks in feels. When meaning arises to the awareness of its carrier and is acted upon, it reflects something lying deeper in the depths of its unconscious — revealing a universal truth about the person it captures and carries. Perhaps, a value system is revealed — or a cherished way of being. 

In this way, for meaning to be discovered and acquired, it requires a person to feel — to recognize the feeling, allow it to fuel them, and carry them forward. Meaning is an illuminating emotional state — a universal currency that transcends borders and culture — a force that seeks to provide intrinsic value for the people, industries, and societies it drives forward. For meaning to be fully acquired, the person must allow the feeling of meaning to capture and carry them.

Conclusions

Adversity, by definition, is adverse — an antagonist that tests and challenges our personhood. But like any story, we must work with the characters within us. It is, simply, a part of the plotline — and the protagonist should always shine the brightest. Scripts within this plotline include voices that reflect emotional and physical pain — with varying levels of breadth and depth — scale, scope, and magnitude. But this pain — is also what makes it meaningful. Although meaning may not be realized within the moment — when time is allowed to pass, when our perceptual field widens, and when our vision becomes crystalized, acquiring meaning through adversity is a common story told by many who have the strength to endure it. Meaning is the protagonist in the story of adversity. 

References 

Attia, Peter, and Bill Gifford. Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. New York: Harmony Books, 2023

Ferguson, Genki. Satellite Love. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2021

Frankl, Viktor E. Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy. Translated by Ilse Lasch. Boston: Beacon Press, 2006.

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Hill, Napoleon. Think and Grow Rich. New York: The Ralston Society, 1937.

Huberman, A. [Andrew Huberman]. (2023, June 12). Dr. Paul Conti: How to Understand and Assess Your Mental Health  [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLRCS48Ens4&t=1s&ab_channel=AndrewHuberman

Lazzari, M. (n.d.). Paintings: 2021–2022. (2024, July 15) from https://www.margaretlazzari.net/#/paintings-20212022/