Facing Adversity

Liane Angerman, Resume Services Calgary, Resume Design, Career Resume Consultant,

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In the face of adversity, we must rise up ....

Facing Adversity

Adversity comes in countless forms. It may erupt on a very singular or personal level, in the governmental space, culturally or in the workplace. Regardless of where adversity rises, it’s disturbing and causes negativity. Some definitions include terms such as these:

• Setbacks

• Misfortune or bad luck

• Crisis or tragedy

• Hard times

• Disaster

• “Hell on earth”

One of my favourite works of literature is LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel where a young man is stuck on a small boat following a horrific shipwreck with a Bengal Tiger for 227 days while the boat floats aimlessly on the sea. For Patel, the 16-year-old South Indian boy, adversity comes in many forms throughout his entire life and eventually he is forced to find ways to survive for nearly a year with “Richard Parker” the Bengal from his father’s own farm.

[caption id="attachment_657" align="alignnone" width="239"] LOP-1 - Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) and a fierce Bengal tiger named Richard Parker must rely on each other to survive an epic journey.[/caption]

Contending with adversity requires change. Whether one succeeds adversity depends very much on our abilities to shift or transform. In some cases, it’s a shift in mindset, such as acceptance of other cultures or someone’s debate regarding an issue. In other situations, a complete transformation of a program, thought process, lifestyle or career role is required when adversity rears its large head.

As a communications specialist, I am no stranger to adversity since my mantra is formulating the most powerful messages possible; the fact is, I thrive on it. I work with clients who require my skills to empower them with a strong message or improved documents (such as a resume, white paper or presentation) often during a time where they are (or have) experienced great adversity in their life. When we rise to the challenges of adversity by applying positive tools the shifting is often imperceptible, mostly because the focus is on the outcome, we grow ...change ....succeed.

When adversity comes in large doses and by surprise, it is often extremely difficult (and sometimes impossible to surmount). When I think about my time living in Montreal (about one year), moving there from western Canada, I surrendered my strong desire to fit in as a different version of a Canadian. Simply, I was not accepted by the greater culture of the French-speaking residents, despite the fact I could comprehend and speak French and my heritage spawned from Quebec. The adversity (or ‘difference’) became more notable the more I tried to rise above it – in my case, I continued to speak my western version of the language. Frankly, it made me miserable. Eventually, I succumbed to speaking English and accepted the fact that being different (or 'western') was my safest and most comfortable option. Fortunately (and unlike Pi in the lost boat with a Bengal), my life did not depend on my inability to be accepted by the other people living in Montreal; the intelligent choice was to remain 'adverse.'

When adversity rises, look it straight in the eye and weight your options and the risks and how important it is to contend or change. Sometimes not contending is the best choice. Some things are meant to be broken.

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