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<h3>Adversity can define us, and make us into who we are going to be.</h3> My time spent in the US Army taught me that adversity can be an ally, one that can grow us and mold us. Anytime we put ourselves on display to the world, adversity will show up. It is like when we lift weights. The more we lift, the more the strain.  The more we progress to our goals, the more adversity will become commonplace. We can stay strong mentally and fight it with a sword of happiness and acceptance.

<h3>Adversity has the ability to sneak up on us when we least expect it.</h3> Life could be going great right now, for me it is, I am sitting in sunny Santa Barbara, in California, taking in the sweet scent of the ocean, the sky is clear and it is about 72 degrees right now. But I am not going to lie, every day I take a step forward, it can seem like afterwards, I take two back. But I fight adversity, and take it head on, as to not allow it to creep up on me.

<h3>Keeping your mind strong and free of concerns acts like a shield.</h3> One way I keep my mind strong is by reading a lot, and keeping my use of substances to a minimum. Always letting go of annoyances and forgiving transgressors, will allow you to stay positive, thus protecting you from adversity.

<h3>Accept adversity in your life, and look at it as a challenge to overcome.</h3> When adversity is accepted for what it is, only then can we truly overcome it. It doesn’t have to be fought against, it is a force of nature. We can conquer it every time it shows up in our lives.  Once we stop resisting it, acceptance comes naturally. The number one thing that can be done is to change our attitudes regarding it. By changing our attitude, adversity will no longer seem to be the large beast that it isn’t.


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