Australia, blogging, Mental Health, Motivational, Philosophy

Overcoming Adversity

Forestwood

I am a bit late with posting my Sunday Sayings quote as it is now Monday afternoon, in Australia. I don’t want writing a regular blog post to become a chore, for then I feel sure my writing would lose spontaneity and appeal, so if I can’t think of anything useful to write, I won’t post at all. Just so you know.

Today’s inspiration resulted after a long walk along the beach with a friend.

Sunrise

Being on the beach at sunrise is fantastic and I feel extremely fortunate to experience it. With little accompanying wind and a mild air temperature, (given it was a winter’s morning in a sub-tropical part of Australia), the sun bid good morning through the low level cloud, hugging the islands across the bay.

That fire breathing star of atoms we all depend on for life, shone over the lapping seawater like a spotlight on a runway carpet. A beam of golden light that stretched across the ocean from the horizon to the shore line like a path to eternity. Magical.

As we walked, my friend and I chatted about life’s dramas, past experiences and the week ahead. She told me about a gentlemen on a UK TV show, who faced enormous challenges in his daily life, and who had seemingly had more than his share of devastating family tragedies, with one cataclysmic life event following another.

In chatting about the TV show and these experiences, I remembered a quote I had read some time back.

Inspirational Quote

Life Challenges and Adversity

After our walk was done and I was at home sipping a cup of tea, I pondered some more about life and facing adversity.

We have all experienced some level of adversity in life.

Everyone has challenges, sooner or later. There wouldn’t be one person on the planet that hasn’t faced some kind of adversity.

Given that such challenges and adversity are omnipresent, or a natural part of life, aiming to live a life without them seems a tad unrealistic and even far-fetched.

Yet how often do we yearn, and sometimes expect, life to be challenge free: wishing for an easy life.

I guess it is in our nature to want life to be trouble free and have free time to pursue hobbies, sport or leisure pursuits. Devices, gadgets and the latest electronic inventions promises itself as a panacea to our time-poor existence.

So I ask:

Why are we looking to save so much time?

In doing so, are we living in the here and now, or looking forward to a mythical ‘down’ time, failing to notice our lives, passing by?

Why do we Want More Leisure Time Anyway?

  • To make life more meaningful
  • To experience more relaxation and peace
  • To conduct leisure pursuits
  • To stop working in a job that bring us joy

What is it that gives us a sense of satisfaction in life?

If the Covid pandemic has any lesson, it is that some folks become completely bored without work, with nothing constructive to do, and a few even create mischief for others.

Is it in the facing of challenges that we come alive?

In overcoming adversity and challenges, even if painful or sad, we can learn and grow. This, in turn, might lead to a greater sense of satisfaction and contentment. Right?

You tell me.

What is it that you are seeking in wanting more leisure time?

Would you prefer a life completely free from challenges?

Join the Discussion

Everyone is welcome to comment, well except for spammers, of course.

Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

47 thoughts on “Overcoming Adversity”

      1. Not really as I think the more I write the easier it becomes but I still try to improve my writing style as they say practice makes perfect. I just love writing and anything connected with words such as playing Scrabble and unravelling cryptic crosswords. One blog post about three years ago was a bit of a challenge though as I’d visited an RHS garden which had been floodlit at Christmas for the first time. There is only so much one can say about some illuminated bushes!

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      2. I get that subject matter affects our writing. That is why I like my blog. I can write about whatever happens to catch my interest, although I do try to channel certain areas: photography, travel, wellbeing. You write particularly well, Marion. I love how you bridge one paragraph to the next in your posts.

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  5. I know that challenges happen all the time but at the end of the year I know I will have had a great year and so too for the year ahead.. What happens in between is character building..

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    1. Character building, Lisa. Yes we can and do learn with each experience if we are open to it. Some experiences however can be so traumatic for a person that they injure them mentally. I am thinking of the military or hazing events which some folks might try to pass off as character building also. Bullying is not character building. I know this is not the context of character building you meant, Lisa. But I am a little bit wary of that term. I love that you look forward to new challenges in the year ahead and look back on each year as a positive thing where you had the chance to grow via the various adverse events you might encounter. A pro active attitude.

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  7. Such gorgeous photos of my beloved Aussie beaches at sunrise!! Sigh. A beautiful, thought-provoking post – I actually have come to like working through deep stuff, as I find that that´s where the treasures lie. Treasures that make you live and appreciate life at a much deeper level than when you choose to run away and distract yourself from challenging topics, emotions, and life experiences… I value presence and aim to live with more presence. Even though, sometimes it´s of course quite easy to give in to the allures of the ever-present distractions!! Thank you for a great post:)

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  8. We’re in the middle of moving to a new house. Stuff still left behind at the old house that needs to be retrieved. Most of our stuff in boxes. Don’t know where anything is, etc. I’m really wanting to see the joy in the move but I’m having a hard time finding it this morning! 😝
    Thank you for the post! It’s always helpful for me to get a little perspective on a situation, to jump start a better attitude. 😉

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    1. I am impressed that you even have time to catch up on blog reading. Moving house is stressful. I did it twice in the last 18 months after not having done it for 35 years!
      Take time to sit at a regular time each day. My husband and I called it happy hour as at 5pm we downed tools, (boxes) and sat with a cuppa or a glass of wine and relaxed for 30 minutes.
      And yes it is a challenge you will overcome! It will be great when it is over!

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  9. A walk on the beach on a winter morning, say what! how rude, I got the fire going this morning (at least we have a fire to keep warm) your only 5-6hrs away. haha. Beautiful photos, beautiful thoughts. Our family is going through a horrible time at the moment, mental health issues can create such life shattering circumstances & its often constant. We Pray often, try to laugh lots & let ourselves go through the emotional processes that are needed to come out the other side, pick ourselves up & off we go again.Thanks for the inspiration, have a wonderful rest of the week & yeah keep bragging about your weather.lol

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    1. Sorry Linda, but the coast’s weather is more mild than the interior! That is why I wanted to live here. I did have a jacket on!!
      A fire is great too.
      Sorry to hear about your family.
      There is not much joy here either with one of my family members mental well being. You have to hang on for the ride until the dark cloud passes. Hugs.

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    2. Sorry Linda, but the coast os more mild than the interior! That is why I wanted to live here. I did have a jacket on!!
      A future is great too.
      Sorry to hear about your family. N
      There is not much joy here either with one of my family members mental well being. You have to hang on for the bumpy ride until the dark cloud passes and the energy shifts, which it does. You are right about the life shattering nature of mental illness fallout. Hugs.

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  10. GREAT quotes and amazing photos! We don’t wish challenges on ourselves, but in truth, we realize that it’s the challenges that form us into the human BEING that we are. As far as leisure time – well, I’ve never understood people who say they are “bored.” I never have enough time in my day to do everything I want to (Covid or no Covid): love, laugh, write, read, walk, repeat. xo

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  11. I agree, Pam – the challenges we face mould us – our opinions, thoughts, and actions. Those who consistently avoid challenges are terrified of change, but they also lose that transient opportunity for any kind or personal growth, even though it might be temporarily uncomfortable for them.
    Your mantra of,” Love, laugh write, read, walk, repeat,” could be a recipe for my retirement. I think the last time I felt any tinge of boredom was about 22 years ago for a day or so. Covid has given me a chance to undertake more learning, more hobbies and more writing at home! Have you been more productive in your activities during Covid, or found it much the same?

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  12. Great post. Leisure time is not always about sitting around. After working more hours than I care to recall for 44 years, I finally have the leisure time I always wanted to do the stuff I had been neglecting for those 44 years. I am never lacking for things to do (work, reading, hobbies, socializing, volunteering, etc.). My comment from my working days, “There are just to enough days in the hour.” still applies. Only now, I am doing stuff I want to do. Cheers. Allan

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    1. Hi Alan, and I find the semi-retired life and soon to be retired life, the same as you in that there is always something to do. I find that there is no rush any more to get things done by a deadline and so that level of stress has melted away. I sometimes feel guilty for taking it slower, but do you think it is a more healthy approach to life – to slow down, or is that a bad habit to get into?

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      1. We do slow down as to completing tasks. No more rushing to get things done in a day. We have a morning exercise regime with 70 minute strength, agility and balance routine every 2 days and 55 minutes Tai Chi/Qigong on the alternate days. Couple that with walks, hikes and biking, we are more active than we ever were before. Just came back from 4 days of hiking in the mountains (46 km). Exercise is not a problem and we do get lots of other variety by helping neighbours, kids, etc. as well as our own yard and housework. Slowing down is a healthier option. Having the choice between relax/labour is not a bad thing provided it is all balanced. Stay well.

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  13. Pingback: Bumps in the Road – A Home by the Sea

  14. I have to say, Amanda, I love your process for blogging, and for life. You soak in so much from your experiences & surroundings and pull it all together into inspiring, thoughtful reflections. You allow us, your Readers, to think big or small, on the issues you highlight, and to search within ourselves for the feelings & thoughts we sometimes didn’t even realise we had. Your invitation to respond is so compelling – and even when I just mean to pop in to find out what you’ve been up to, I end up lingering.

    Loving Husband and I were chatting on our way home from our walk/run yesterday evening about how my runs are still a bit of a struggle and nowhere close to what I was enjoying “pre-busted toe” about a month ago. Then it occured to me/us that the disruption in the running routine, the Adversity in this this tale, forced me to stop, take stock, be grateful and start again the process of running.

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    1. That is really very kind, Ju-Lyn and I feel reassured by your comment that what I think is important to write about just might also be interesting to others.
      Not everyone wants to discuss, reflect or analyze their thoughts and motivations, but I hope for my posts to be meaningful to some.
      In reference to the example you mentioned, it is easy to assume when things are not what we wish for, or want, that it’s a ‘problem’ to be fixed. If we see it from another angle it might be a learning opportunity or an opportunity in disguise. Perhaps we should ask ourselves, ” Is it really in our best interests to get everything we desire” and,” is there a lesson for us if we don’t?” Maybe not having something is just what we need at that moment, as you alluded. I value comments like yours, as it leads me to think even deeper than my original post. Discussions are so creative in that respect.

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      1. The synergy from conversations, Amanda! That’s what this community affords – I love it!

        I have learnt a great deal from watching my older daughter deal with “shattered dreams”. The times when things don’t work out and I thought she would be devastated, she took pause and re-focused. Even after she had put in so much effort and work towards a project or goal. I asked her about it on those occasions to ensure she was really ok, and in fact, she was. She just takes these setbacks as opportunities to try another solution, or to refocus a goal.

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      2. I am amazed that your daughter is so mature in her attitude towards something that doesn’t work out. No doubt due to some wise parenting and counselling when she was younger. I feel that perhaps I tried to smooth the way a little too much for my children as I could not bear to see them devastated and they are peculiarly hypersensitive. But I have learnt to step back more as they are older and as one of my sons says to me, ” You have to allow me the space to be sad.”
        Goals are also fluid things – yet we tend to see them set in stone, and somehow we have failed if the goal is adjusted or replaced. Just as life changes and energy shifts and moves, goals must also therefore require adjustment, sometimes daily.

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  15. So happy you stopped by my blog, I found yours. Such a great post. How beautiful is that sunrise, I miss the Aussie beaches and life there. San Francisco is as close as I could get to home.
    Amid all of our challenges this past year, sheltering in place the past 3 months had a healing effect. Not that my teens didn’t complain about online schooling and my own teaching job was without its own stresses, we just found family time made us happier, and more productive. Being present, which is my daily goal helped me learn new skills, we laughed a lot more, walked and talked too. Communication in my family is huge and we explored that a bit more as well.

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  16. Love the quote and envious of the beach walk.:) I thank the powers that be every day for the most incompetent parents ever, (in my opinion) as they made me become strong, flexible and capable of handling whatever life threw at me. I see pampered children all over that are just incapable of managing life without someone telling them each step of the way what to do and how to do it. They don’t get to make mistakes from which to learn. Every adversity is another chance to challenge oneself to see what metal we are made of. Their unkindness taught me I wanted to be extra kind and loving in the world. Their lack of generosity showed me that a generous heart brought it’s own rewards. Though times have made me stronger and wiser. I’m forever grateful for those lessons. Have a great weekend on your beach, Amanda.

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    1. Marlene I hope you don’t mind me saying that you are one of the people in the world who inspire me with your take on life. This is a perfect example of finding a silver lining and changing perspectives despite the odds. How we relate to our thoughts determines our quality of life. For you, having unkind, incompetent parents could have turned you into a bitter women who self-medicated any sadness and self-pity away with alcohol or drugs, rarely feeling happy and passing on the misery to the next generation. Instead, you turned away from the shadows and embraced the sunlight by practising compassion, empathy and kindness. You used the uncaring example set for you as a learning tool and didn’t indulge in, or attach to, thoughts of a ‘poor me’ scenario. So wise!
      Thanks for the wishes for a lovely week. It is already looking better after reading your words. I will think of you when walking in the beach on Monday morning. Hugs from Down Under and hope your week is full of delicious joy.

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  17. Very well said! We humans need to have a purpose, feel like we are contributing to the cause (whatever that may be). Doing nothing is not healthy for body, mind or soul. And what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger! Beautiful photos!! 😊

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    1. You are right, Lisa. Doing nothing isn’t great for the soul, mind or body. The ego imagines dramas for itself if we are not gainfully occupied. Contributing in some way gives us purpose. I am on the fence about things making us stronger if they don’t kill us. Most times that does seem true, but sometimes not. Do you know what I mean?

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      1. Sometimes probably not. And that may be the times we kind of give up inside. Maybe, we just have to believe we can do it! But I do look at folks sometimes and I don’t think I could do what they did. 🙁

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  18. When a person’s mental resilience is already low, an extra blow to their self-esteem or an extra hard challenge may be too much for them to bear. Belief that we can succeed in difficult situations is half the battle. A kind of mindgame.

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