How do we deal with adversity?
I don't think I'm a very deep thinker, but I like to think about things, so I guess that counts for something.
So. How do we deal with adversity? I think we all deal with adversity differently. Duh! But, I think there are principles that are true no matter who we are.
Anyway. There are lots of different kinds of adversity we might encounter. What kind of adversity have you encountered lately?
What I am going to address is how we deal with adversity. I think its important to figure out if we are experiencing adversity and then go from there. We have to be experiencing adversity for any of these skills that we have or will acquire to be useful and I think that we react and handle adversity differently depending on the kind if adversity that exists.
How for example do we deal with simple obstacles? What are some examples of simple obstacles? I think any adversity can be tough and our mind only escalates our thoughts when we experience any adversity. But there are definitely different levels of adversity.
Some simple adverse conditions might be a pet peeve that we personally have. Something someone else does that bothers us. That usually being something that might only bother us. I THINK my biggest pet peeve is when someone chews with their mouth open close to me. My sister, Jacquelyn, and I have very sensitive hearing.....maybe its just selective. HAHA. Who knows. But what I DO know is that, it bothers me. It doesn't bother me so much if I just plainly SEE someone do it as much as when we are near eachother and I can hear the process of the food going down. EWWWW. This happened today. I'm not going to point fingers. I never try to. This isn't an opportunity that I am going to take to rant either. It just so happens that this happened today. It's a good example.
SO. My first thought when faced with this "adverse" condition was to blame the person with whom I had this "peeve" with. When this person just so happened to do what I hate RIGHT next to me. Hijole! Heavenly Father knows how to test us. Anyway. My first thought was to blame this person. Second thought - to tell this person to stop. Third thought - "OKAY! FINE! I'll let it go and put on my noise-cancelling headphones and suck it up and let this person have his hayday with his food." Haha.
What was interesting about this experience that I had today was the fact that it was basically and completely and only an internal struggle with MYSELF to overcome my pride and move on with life when I experienced a little adversity. I've experienced a lot of adversity. I won't get into that. I could rant for a while and it wouldn't do me any good. Especially publicly. Anyway. I know we all have experienced a lot of adversity. I don't discount anyone's experience/s.
It was just super interesting that it was completely and entirely a struggle with pride when I was faced with some adversity. A little adversity.
Now. I'm not sure where to go from here with this. I think that beyond small struggles with adversity our own instincts kick in, whether they be good or bad, effective or ineffective, and I think Heavenly Father helps us. I know he does. The thing is that there are so many different struggles with adversity that we go through that I don't think that I could even begin to break it down or summarize it or give it any justice.
We had a devotional talk today from a teacher/department head here at BYU-Idaho that was very good and he said many times throughout the talk that he was a very simple and ordinary person. It was very humble of him and I think that it made a good point. We are given the adversity that WE NEED to get to WHERE WE need to be. I think thats pretty much the end of that story. We don't experience adversity to just experience adversity. That would be rather pointless. BUT I do think that we do experience adversity that does just test us. It might not have a specific purpose but to keep us on a good path or whatever it may be.
Other times we are given adversity to prepare us for things. Other times we are given adversity to help other people. Ever thought of that before? Think about it. Really do. Think about it long and hard. I think that my trial that I just went through/am going through/am trotting through was for me. I don't deny that. BUT was it just for me? NO. Not at all. I think that is the deepest thing that I have learned this past year. Heavenly Father/God gives us adversity to help us/test us/refine us and those around us. I think that is only a secondary thing, but really think about that. Why should we? Don't ask me!
I think its cool. I do think that our trials HELPING other people might be far off or off the beaten path, but I think it does consider our consideration. What could come of that? We could learn important lessons. We could learn by hearing another's experience. We could LEARN to carry another's burden. I think that is the most lost art of all time. What happened to that? I am ranting now, but I know its for a reason! What happened to carrying eachother's burdens? I don't mean to call everyone out on this. But you know who you are. Why aren't we doing this? Who isn't doing this? Why wouldn't we do this? This is the first and most important principle of life! Even if we aren't a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or AKA a part of the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" I think we ALL know that that is the most important thing that we should and can and are supposed to do. What has happened to it? I'm not saying that it has all disappeared, but I am writing this because I think it needs to show up a lot more than it does. I honestly think it is non-existent right now. I'm sorry to say that and I don't mean to sound like a pessimist, but I think that that is the first thing that OUR opposition tries to take away in our lives when someone else is going through adversity, is our ability-NO- our desire to help another person. I KNOW that that is the first thing that our lovely opposition wants to take away from us. If you haven't noticed, this has turned from, "how do we deal with adversity?" into "we need to help others deal with adversity."
I am in no way hinting that we are completely selfish, that I dislike any of you, that I have a hidden feud with anybody, no. Not at all. If you take it that way, I'm sorry, but you have some issues. Solve them.
In this blog post I am only standing up for what I know to be true. I am not challenging anyone or trying to or trying to start an argument. If I am or it comes across that way, I'm sorry. But I'm not removing any other blog posts. :)
I am only standing up for what I know to be true. I am standing up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am saying what I feel. I am saying what has been mingling in my soul for a while now. I am standing up for what I believe, first and foremost. Then. I am standing up for MY Savior, Jesus Christ. He spoke his mind too. Did everyone agree with him?! Heck no. Most people hated him for what he said. What happened to him? He was crucified.
I think this is the biggest problem in our society today. I think this is the biggest problem in the Church of Jesus Christ and I think we would all be so much better off if we ignored the oppositions voice and HELP eachother when opposition comes, instead of what?? How about instead of running the other way! This is the biggest issue I have found this last year and I think that this is the biggest problem that I and we will all face the rest of our lives. The struggle with Pride. I am in no way perfect. I am very very far from it. But what I do know and what I will do is stand up for what I know to be true and right and what I feel in my heart needs to be said. Everyone who knows me knows that that is what I will do. I do that. I don't do it to hurt anyone else, I do it because I am honest. I don't judge other people. I don't hold grudges. I HATE people who hold grudges. I HATE people who judge and I hate people who abandon others in hard times. Hate is a strong word, but I think it comes because I just hate the opposition that we have in this life and what it does to me and to others and to all of us. I hate the opposition. Yes. I readily admit that. I am proud of that. I was not expecting to write about this. But the Spirit prompted me on or plainly this is what I felt had to be said. I will not claim that this came from the spirit, only that this was a possibility because I think that our instincts kick in more than the spirit prompting us. I think they both happen. I know they both do, but I think they are interwoven/intertwined/interrelated. ULTIMATELY sometimes what needs to be said won't be said by the spirit. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. I can't say. Ultimately what needs to be said will be said. I do think that what needs to be said or what the Spirit wsays or what we are prompted to say or what we feel we should or need to say or all somehow interrelated. HOW? Because we are imperfect people trying to become perfect! We aren't perfect people who speak with the tongue of angels at every second of every day. I think we learn from eachother more than we learn from the spirit. That is a deep suggestion/claim/whatever you want to cal it, but I think the Spirit moreso takes what we do and translates it into what other people need to hear. More than anything. I think I'm done. Hopefully you enjoyed! Remember to always think of others first. I do. I try to. I'm not perfect. I just try to. Thats what I do. Thats what I try to do. I'm very very far from perfect, but hey, I'm still trying. I'm lucky to be here today. I'm blessed to be here today. Lastly, I'm going to include a relevant picture to sum up what we need to do when adversity comes.
Here it is:
:) Enjoy!
It always feels much better when you say what needs to be said. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone. I didn't intend to. Take it how you want. Don't let pride get ya! Love you!
-Jonathan
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