We have learned that to achieve success we must overcome adversity. This is explained by the fact that, as previously said, success is at the other end of adversity. We concluded that to get to Success City one must go through Adversity Avenue. Nevertheless, the question is why? Why is it that the road to a great life is narrow and is littered with adversity?
Of course there are various reasons for this, and we will find a few of them in this book. But one of the major reasons is that we must pass through Adversity Avenue to collect the keys for our success mansion. Another way of saying this is that adversity gives us the ability to obtain, enjoy and keep our success.
It has been told there is no sweet without sweat. This is because sweat is what makes the sweet. The price we pay to succeed – in terms of finances, tears, blood, time, failure, shame, ridicule and disappointments – gives us the ability to handle our success. Greatness does not constitute an event but a process. It is measured not by where one is or what one has but by how far one has come, what hardships one have endured to be where one is.
Successful people know it takes less energy to attain success than to retain it. They realize that becoming successful is easier than remaining successful. Simply put, if you do not know how to reach success you don’t know how to retain it. People who come into possession of things without paying the full price (for instance heirs and lottery winners) not only fail to draw lasting satisfaction from their possessions but struggle to keep them.
Studies have found that excessive wealth, particularly for people unaccustomed to it, such as lottery winners, can actually cause unhappiness. It is not surprising, therefore, that studies also show nearly one-third of lottery winners end up in bankruptcy.
Charlie Dexter once said “People, who patiently toil towards worthwhile dreams and goals, building strong character while overcoming adversity and challenge, grow the strong internal foundation to handle success…. A caterpillar is doomed to a life on the ground if it is freed from its struggle inside a cocoon prematurely. The struggle in the cocoon is what gives the future butterfly the wing power to fly…”
Do not adopt short cuts or else you will cut yourself short.
Dreamlife Mission 