"Adversity has the effect
of eliciting talents which,
in prosperous circumstances,
would have lain dormant."
-- Horace
Is adversity given to us? Does it come upon us from without? Sophocles said, "The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities." With the benefit of hindsight, I have to agree with Sophocles. Every adversity that I have had that I can recall was self-inflicted. No matter how much I want to blame circumstances, or other people, or even be mad at the world, if I am to be true to my feelings, I must admit that I alone am the fault.
Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it is a good thing. It is good to recognize that I am responsible. It is good to realize that I have the power to change myself and situation. It is good to realize that I may often have made decisions by default that caused a cruise along a course that I may not have chosen on purpose.
And, it is good to have the advantage--yes, I claim it an advantage--to have adversity in my life. I claim it an advantage because it clearly causes me to notice that I am in a place that I don't really want to be, that I created and followed that path by not paying attention, and more importantly, that now, I can choose something else. It also has a way as Horace said of eliciting talents which have lain dormant.
If I have the power to get here, I have the power to go there. If I have the power to cause adversity, I have the power to cause prosperity, well-being, health, joy.
Come To Think Of It, Adversity Could Be A Marvelous Opportunity. I Could Come To Love Adversity!
Spread Some Joy Today--You have the power. No one else can do it for you. Only you can do it for yourself. Choose joy. Spread your joy. Feel your joy.
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