To reach success, you must learn to overcome adversity. Many people who strive for greatness in life have encountered difficulty and setbacks. Some people have more peaceful dreams. They envision settling down with a wife and kids, or perhaps retiring by 40 years old. 

But what do you do when you face adversity? How do you get back on track and continue pursuing success? 

Marcus Aurelius is a TEDx speaker, entrepreneur, and life coach. He is the host of the Acta Von Verba Podcast, and has dedicated much of his time teaching others how to overcome adversity.

Adversity finds us unprepared

In most cases, adversity finds us unprepared. Marcus recalls turning 40 years old while broke, divorced, and bedridden. Subsequently, he suffered a severe spinal injury while training to deploy with the U.S army. 

Going through surgery, he states that he died twice while on the operating table. As a result, he was left paralyzed from the neck down, which led him into a deep depression. He battled with suicidal thoughts as he felt that he had wasted his life and had nothing left to give. The thought of being bedridden for the rest of his life, when he felt he had so much to accomplish, fuelled the depression even further. 

Adversity is a gift

Marcus states that overcoming the adversity in his life required him to do some serious soul searching. He had to ask himself serious questions about his life, including what areas he needed to change. When he began to see his adversity as a gift, he finally managed to find a path towards success. 

Based on his own experiences, Marcus states that adversity leaves us with two options. The first option is playing victim, and the second option involves changing your perspective about the situation. Of course, the latter is easier said than done. However, after some soul-searching, Marcus was able to find some things to be grateful for. He reckoned that if he had gotten injured with the infantry, he could have gotten another man killed, or he would have gotten killed. 

Adversity is like a natural law – the law of gravity

When you look at your adversity, what are you thankful for? Marcus points out that miracles happen when you start seeing adversity as a gift. He says adversity is like a natural law – the law of gravity. Adversity doesn’t care about your opinions, and it shows up unannounced. 

The greatest adversity Marcus has ever faced was his injury. He realized that if he could overcome this adversity mentally, he would be better equipped to handle any other kind of adversity. 

Although adversity is harsh, it is also the best teacher. It forces you to up your game and utilizes skills you had not considered using. Adversity shakes you up and wakes you up when you give any less than 100%.