There is an understanding that the origins of adversity were created as a driver to move not only individuals, but whole groups, cultures, and the entire world forward.
Keeping it simple, adversity is often referred to as misfortune, bad luck, negative, distress, disaster, etc. It presents us with negative challenges, normally rooted in fear - yet what is it’s polar opposite? It could be said that privilege, harmony, well-being, fortunate, and faith are its opposites.
Yet where does it stem from, and what use is it?
It is said that when a person is subject to adversity, it is a time when their true colors are on full display. In other words, an angry person put under pressure becomes angrier, while a harmonious person put under pressure remains balanced. So, it will come as no surprise to know that the angry person who becomes angrier, experiences more adversity than the harmonious one.
With this in mind, and as much as we may not like to hear the following, yet the origins of adversity, misfortune and bad luck appear to birth from within oneself.
For example…
Imagine two individuals, Jack and John.
Jack was born and raised in what he described as severe adversity, while John was born and raised in what he described as a ‘privileged household’. Paradoxically they were both born into similar backgrounds, class, and social structures.
Jack recalls his childhood as largely unhappy, fearful, adversely challenging, and not too pleasant to look back upon. On the other hand, John recalls his childhood with smiles, love, and full of uplifting inspirational events. A childhood he was extremely proud to have experienced.
Origins matter little to the understanding of adversity, in so much that both Jack and John had no conscious awareness of anything beyond their own individual memories. That is, it is widely understood that events and experiences beyond around five-years-old cannot be consciously recalled. In other words, adversity begins not with the big bang of the universe; it begins in the conscious mind of the individual. Though was it a coincidence that Jack experienced a life full of adversity, and John a life full of privileges?
Ironically, and nearing their 80’s, Jack was riddled with physical illness, had led an unfulfilled life, did not believe in or recognize a deity, or anything other than himself. When asked to reflect, he could not consciously grasp the meaning of life, let alone his own existence and believed himself to be ‘being punished’.
On the other hand, John could without effort reflect back with a more than a conscious understanding as to how he had lived a privileged life. In fact, John stated that the more he listened, attuned, and allowed his overall consciousness to guide him, miraculously his life improved, and it was this that kept him going.
Jack could not consciously understand why he was born the way he was, yet with effort, and guidance, he could reflect back with a little understanding as to how his own perception not only held him there, but was digging a deeper and deeper hole. He knew his life was almost over, and sadly welcomed the final curtain. Yet during one of our final interviews, there was an admission and an inner knowledge that his mind, thinking, and perception had perhaps contributed heavily to the creation of his own adversity. He spoke of others who enjoyed more than he, and how they differed in their thinking, acting, and reacting. At the age of 79, he was consciously connecting the dots.
On the other hand, John was still going strong, his health was good and throughout, he had experienced only mild adversity. Yet unlike Jack, John spoke of an inner connection and an inner awareness that was his best friend. He had no plans for a passover and talked of going on well into his 100th year.
Ironically, where Jack had no awareness of the meaning of life, John did. Where Jack bumped around life like a fairground bumper car, John felt guided. Jack lived a hundred fold more adversity, yet John just knew how to circumnavigate it. Jack’s take on life was ‘it was torture’ whereas John’s take on life was ‘a privilege’.
Jack passed away in 2011, aged 79. As of July 2014, John is 85 and still leading a healthy and full life.
What was the difference and why did these two almost similar people lead two very abstract lives?
Well, there does appear to be a set of global principles relating to adversity, when it will, and when it will not be experienced. That is, when an individual gravitates away from their own truth, buying into and believing their perceptional experiences, then an imbalance occurs.
The imbalance forms when an individual like Jack reacts to and takes direction from their perception. Thereby, they believe themselves to be separate and that entire life and reality is also separate. Over time, perception and mind enslaves them and eventually they believe that perception is them. Though perception is needed, it is meant to be a tool and not an attachment.
Remember the earlier case of Greg who perceived Duncan to be lazy, and the pop singer who sang like a Cat but perceived themselves to be the next global super star? Well, these are simply “subjective perceptions”, but they are not necessarily the truth.
How does one know when they have wandered from their own truth?
When adversity is upon them. There appears to be simple rules and dynamics that govern reality and one of those dynamics can be described as follows;
When a puppy wanders from its owner, there is a leash to pull it back. No leash, and the puppy could become totally lost. Yet most all-new dog owners invest in a lead, or remain close at hand guiding and shaping the puppy to return. If the puppy dog goes too far, either the pain from the leash, or the fear in losing its owner, ensure its path is corrected.
Though humans have perhaps complicated their own reality, as on one hand we think that we are alone, then on the other hand we hope there is a deity. We like to think that we are totally free, but hope there are parameters to guide us. We like to think we are creators, yet have no idea how we created ourselves.
However, there does appear to be guidelines, boundaries and parameters governing life and reality, and it appears one must consciously work them out for themselves. Studies are showing that consciousness is perhaps the ultimate creator, governor, and maintainer of life. As the more aware and connected an individual is to their overall consciousness, the less adversity life presents. Likewise, the less consciously aware the individual is, appears to encounter and experience more adversity. Furthermore, an individual bound by their perception, goes onto birth and manufacture adversity, whereas, an individual free from the mind and self goes onto live a life of privileges.
Nevertheless, please note that we do not profess to be the designers or architects of the universe, our suggestion is to adopt what resonates and discard what does not. Having said that, before anything hits the rubbish bin, please challenge yourself to try it out.