Adversity and obstacles all present themselves in a seemingly innumerable amount of ways. The order of your life can become completely unsettled by the chaos that erupts from nowhere at any moment. Whether this is a relationship that’s been torn by infidelity, a collision between vehicles, or illness that arises. We are subject to the pressure that challenges present to us when they occur and it’s how we choose to respond in the midst of these difficulties that will either refine us for our betterment or damage us for our detriment. The difference lies in the choice we make and how we respond.

First, we don’t have control over the large majority of our life. We may possess the illusion of control, but we don’t have control. Whether it’s our reputation, health, finances, relationships, or any number of other things, while we may influence these, we are not the final authority on determining the outcome. What we do possess is the power to choose how to respond to any given event. I’m not denying the tears or the pain, but I’m offering you a better way of responding as opposed to reacting.

There are two things you ultimately control, how you choose to respond and the meaning you give something. Everything else is out of your hands. As I said, you may influence things, but ultimately you don’t have the final authority on the outcome of things. Recognize this and you possess true strength and real power. You free yourself from trying to pull every lever and control every outcome. It’s from this place that your mind becomes truly adaptable to any given situation, becoming empowered by the reality of any moment rather than disempowered.