WE are still looking at the issue of adversity. We have seen that adversity is a bridge we all have to cross on our way to greatness. We have also seen how adversity comes. We ended with looking at the channel of hatred.

Hatred puts us at risk. Hatred makes us the target of malicious, unfair and severe criticism. Our dreams and our words become objects of aggressive attacks. Hatred, if not dealt with, can lead to a desire to “eliminate” the object of the hatred. When we are the object of hatred we are pushed to a place where the execution of our dream is made difficult. Our reputation is deliberately tarnished. We are socially ostracized and we are stigmatised. Adversity puts us at the risk of losing our dream and sometimes our lives can be at risk.

Adversity usually intensifies when “our adversaries” see we are not deterred in the persistent pursuit of our dream, goal or desire.

Envy is another door by which adversity enters into our lives. Wikipedia free encyclopedia defines envy as “as an emotion that occurs when a person lacks another’s (perceived) superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it. Envy can also derive from a sense of low self-esteem that results from an upward social comparison threatening a person’s self image: another person has something that the envier considers to be important to have. If the other person is perceived to be similar to the envier, the aroused envy will be particularly intense, because it signals to the envier that it just as well could have been he or she who had the desired object.”

Envy usually results in resentment. When we are the target of envy our good fortune will not only be despised but generate unnecessary animosity and malicious actions. We get unduly criticized and our character maligned. When we are envied by people it is a serious time of adversity and we must be careful not to allow it to kill our dream.

Although pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. We can choose to be strong. It is not misfortune that produces suffering, but an improper reaction to it.

One of the consequences of adversity is the way it makes us to respond. Many times people respond wrongly to adversity. They feel the world is unfair. They wonder ‘why me?’

They feel we are the only one going through the kind of adversity they are experiencing. If we respond wrongly to adversity it will make us want to withdraw from people. We withdraw into ourselves and we become depressed, discouraged and despondent. To come out victorious in adversity we cannot afford to fall for the isolation game. A problem shared is a problem is a problem halved. When we get hit by adversity and we are grieving we need to seek help and adequate counsel. Sharing our loss makes the burden of grief easier to carry.

Adversity can quickly deplete our energy and, if care is not taken it can reduce us to a state of complete uselessness so we must properly analyze what caused the adversity and what things must be done to resolve issues. If the issues cannot be resolved then we need to seek external help.

For enquiries/comments please send email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it