3 Proven Ways to Overcome Adversity in Life

My best position in basketball was the 7th or 8th man. In other words, I wasn’t the best, but when the coach needed defense, I was in the game. When it came to covering the guard or rebounding in the clutch, that was when I moved up on the depth chart. Hey, I was the short kid and not all that good at shooting. In today’s world, that is often a “failure” kind of approach. It's an all-or-nothing mentality.

But I got in the game. Here is a simple reminder: “Falling down doesn’t make you a failure, but staying down does.”

Over and over again, life knocks us down. Just cause I didn’t make the team later in my youth doesn’t mean I couldn’t ever play basketball! If there was a hoop and a ball, I could still play, it just meant I wasn’t cut out for the NBA, and so what? It was still fun to play. The choice had to be made that I wasn’t going to sit down.

One of the writers of ancient wisdom noted: “A just person falls seven times, and then rises up again.” (Proverbs 24:16a) Let's break this down a bit:

Be a Just Person: Being a just person; a person of CHARACTER not simply being "good". This is THE foundation. Being someone of integrity is vital. My dad taught me that. Be the same person when no one is looking. This is the foundation of everything that comes next. Let me ask you: is being a person of character important to you?

Get After It: Are you in the game? The assumption is that life is going to hit you - 7 or more times! My book, Life Sucks Seek God names it from the get go. You have be in the game to get knocked down and you will! I got knocked down early and then went a ways in life before cancer, vision loss, death of my wife, and many other things started hitting me. I fell hard. What next?

GET UP: Had I not focused on the character issues - the inner person/defeating the false self - the rising up part could have been next to impossible and/or had me looking to “cut corners” on my character. And how would that have turned out? I might have “won” but I would have lost my soul.

Surrounding yourself with good people, and people of integrity is important. It always makes a huge difference if you put good stuff in your head and heart. What do you watch? What do you read? What do you listen to each day? Do you take time for self-reflection? All of these make a difference in the issue of character.

Maybe most important though: who are your heroes? Who do you look to as a role model in your life? Are they consistent in public and private? Many have fallen off my list because there wasn’t consistency and it is worth asking - who do you want to be like in the end?

Start today. Enhance your life by building your character. The best list I have ever found is this one: Ask yourself, am I…

Trustworthy

Loyal

Helpful

Friendly

Courteous

Kind

Obedient

Cheerful

Thrifty

Brave

Clean