AVOIDING HOLES OF ADVERSITY

PART 2: "Red Flags"

You may have listened to a podcast featuring a guest who shares their story of overcoming adversity. These narratives were once referred to as Horatio Alger stories because they all revolve around perseverance, grit, and determination themes. They highlight the journey toward success, rooted in a dream, goal, or ambition, despite the challenges faced along the way. Each story typically concludes with a significant change in the protagonist's circumstances after struggling. Additionally, there is often a moral or ethical lesson underlying the actions in these stories.

You may be familiar with Aesop's Fables or The Canterbury Tales. Storytelling dates back to ancient times, when philosophers, soothsayers, oracles, and sages shared stories that entertained, delighted, or imparted lessons. All of these works serve as morality plays.

When you hear a podcast host or guest share a story about how they overcame adversity, what goes through your mind? These stories can be entertaining, but it's important to remember that each one is specific to the storyteller, and their circumstances may not be similar to yours. Many podcast guests attempt to condense years or even decades of experiences into just thirty or forty minutes. As a result, the true value of these stories often lies primarily with the storyteller, not the listener.

While these recalled steps to glory may entertain or leave you with positive feelings and an appreciation for what they've experienced, each listener returns to their own life once the episode ends. Your story is uniquely yours, and so are your challenges. Instead of trying to overcome adversity, it is often much easier to avoid it altogether. Stepping around obstacles is always easier than digging yourself out of a hole.

The true power of choice lies in our actions to avoid adversity. We often forget that each choice we make carries consequences, whether large or small, and these can have both short-term and long-term impacts. Every decision we make can lead to potential rewards or adverse outcomes.

What do we mean by "consequence"? While most of us are familiar with the word, its true implications can often be overlooked. Consequences typically refer to the immediate desired outcomes that dominate our thoughts. However, in focusing on these short-term results, we may neglect both the short- and long-term effects on ourselves and, more importantly, how our choices affect others. This mindset can lead us into a repetitive cycle, causing us to fall into a hole, and we start digging deeper and deeper. Eventually, we find ourselves in a pit of disappointment, despair, damage, and potential danger.

If we remain in that hole of repeated negative behavior for long enough or too often, our perceived escape mechanisms can become more harmful, dangerous, or even more deadly than we ever expected.

When faced with a choice or decision, many people tend to focus solely on the outcome they desire. They are laser-focused on the goal they want or expect, often overlooking other possibilities. Even if similar choices in the past have led to negative consequences, they continue to view their current or next decision only through the lens of their desires. In many cases, the stronger their desire, the more blind they become to potential adverse outcomes. This can be a precarious way to live.

The easiest way to step around holes of adversity is to recall previous choices and their outcomes. You need to pay attention if you see mental ‘red flags’ lurking in the shadows of a new choice.

People, like animals, are creatures of habit. When our behavior becomes too comfortable through repetition, we may find ourselves in a comfort zone that can turn into a place of "comfortable misery." Many people desire what they want, but the stronger their desire, the less likely they are to see the full spectrum of possibilities—good, bad, or ugly. Therefore, let the waving red flags serve as a beacon, illuminating your following or upcoming choices.