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ADVERSITY – A NATURAL OCCURRENCE
Marian Baltazar
Class of 1980, University of the Philippines College of Manila
AB Political Science
How many of us are able to face the reality of life? All the things that happen to people have a cycle and it will
keep on occurring, no matter how you hold back the time, but the question is could we? The . ..fact that we
were created for a purpose by God only means that we have to live our lives as He planned it to be. As we go
along the journey to eternity, we will all experience trials and tribulations, these will make us what we are now
and what we ought to be. At this moment and time, one can attest experiencing an imbroglio, a mixed emotion,
challenges, frustrations, depression, affliction, hardships, a great loss, a misfortune and many more. All of these
are what we consider adversities in our life. One can say that is inevitable not to experience such things. At
some point and time in our life, each of us has experienced a great affliction, losing a great job, a complicated
situation, a disaster, a misery………ah! Adversity comes in many forms and we cannot prevent and avoid
undergoing these things for it is a natural occurrence. All of which inflicts a physical pain to an individual. Have
you ever thought that all these distress has an end? These adverse circumstances pull you back and this also
holds true for other people, who feel the same way too! They say that for a wise person, pain is inevitable but
suffering is optional. So, it’s up to us to decide on how much suffering our pain is going to inflict on us.
Adversity manifests itself in many ways, it may be that you just decided to reconcile with your special someone
only to find out he is into a new relationship; you were critically judged by your dance instructor; there was a
sudden blackout just when you are about to alight an elevator; you did not get that most awaited job, etc. Most
often than not, it is definitely normal and natural for these things to occur in our day to day living. It is just
around the corner but what matters most is the way we respond to it, for us to figure out if we will be a success
or a failure in life. Apparently, adversity can cause depression and hopelessness. Our reaction to it may affect
our emotional and physical health and dealing with these adverse situations may cause us psychological
problems too. The pressures of life can even cause us a heart attack and mind you, it weakens our immune
system, making us susceptible to illness and diseases. All of these tend to make us look at the negative side of
life. Rather than focusing on these things which makes one feel so disturbed, why don’t we change the attitude
of our mind and try to look at life on the positive side.
Face reality, accept things as they are, stop getting depressed, stop blaming yourself and be on the right track
of response to overcome adversity. Have that optimistic attitude so we can be productive persons and have
that feeling of empowerment on your constructive approach to adversity. Welcome adversity instead as an
opportunity to help us succeed. The people, who endure all the adverse situations in their life, fulfil and
achieve their dreams and what they hope for. Transform adversity into a challenge or opportunity, after all,
they say that experience is the best teacher.
Questions for discussion:
1.How does adversity affect your way of life?
2.What do you consider as your greatest adversity in life?
3.How do you irritability and restlessness when you feel adversity?
4.How do you overcome adversity in your present situation?
5.Cite incidents in your life when you forbear all the adversities that come your way.