Adversities
By: Abinand Parthasarathy
What is Adversity
An adversity, according to the dictionary, is adverse or unfavorable fortune or fate; a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress. Different people deal with it in different ways. For many, adversity directly relates to stress. Adversities usually consist of a problem obstructing someone from doing something. For example, an adversity could be when a person lost a body part due to an accident. If that happened, then they would have to overcome it by learning how to live with it and move on. Other smaller things could also be considered as an adversity such as difficult schoolwork or being teased at school. Kids use other methods to deal with this type of adversity. Overall, an adversity is a problem or obstacle that should be overcome.
Information From:
https://www.success.bz/articles/1415/what_is_adversity_and_how_does_it_affect_our_health
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Adversities of the Donner Party
People have made some of the worst choices which led them to adversity. One example of this is of the Donner Party. They took a bad shortcut while trying to reach California in the 1800s. As a result of this, the whole group collapsed and fell in tragedy and experienced many adversities.
One result of this was that they were blocked by snow after a while on the new shortcut path. This meant that they could not retreat back to get help or go forward to move past it. They were blocked for the next few months, including the wintertime. The shortcut they took also led them to have a hunger problem. Since they were trapped, they also couldn’t get supplies. Therefore, members started to starve without being able to get food. Also because they took the shortcut, fighting took place. Being trapped caused the survivors to be in a very bad mood and fighting quickly erupted if there were any disagreements. Overall, the outcome of the Donner Party’s decision to take the shortcut was very bad.
Information From:
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/donnerparty.htm
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Solving Adversities- Shooting Kabul
One example of an adversity is in the book Shooting Kabul. The main character's sister, Mariam, gets lost in the middle of their escape to the United States. The problem is that they cannot find her even though they try a number of methods.
One method they tried was to hire private detectives. But, the private detectives couldn't find Mariam. Therefore, this solution did not fit the time constraints of Mariam's family. Another possible solution was to win a trip to go look for Mariam since this was a prize for winning a contest in the main character's school. However, they could not win the contest because Fadi, the main character, did not win the contest. The solution they used was to look for her in pictures of refugees from that area. This solved their problem because they could instantly go get her once they found her.
Picture from:
http://www.nhsenzai.com/shooting-kabul/
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Shooting Kabul
The Adversities of Jim Carrey and Steve Jobs
Jim Carrey started out as a homeless kid with a poor family. Similarly, Steve Jobs was also homeless and poor at a few points in his life. Both of them also quit their school or collage because they felt overwhelmed. However, they both calmed down and eventually soared to success. The starting points for both Jim Carrey and Steve Jobs were very similar.
Though they have many similarities they also have many differences. Jim Carrey decided to lighten up the mood by telling jokes. This later led him to become a comedian. On the other hand, Steve Jobs just kept working hard. That perseverance led him to build a technology empire. Steve Jobs made his decision when he was in college and had to quickly make a choice about what he wanted to do. This differs form Jim Carrey, who made his decision when he was a kid.
Both Steve Jobs and Jim Carrey had many similarities and differences. Many other people also started out at the same position, as being homeless, and eventually becoming famous.
Information From:
http://www.alligator.org/opinion/columns/article_c0090004-f61d-11e0-8389-001cc4c03286.html
http://www.italki.com/entry/462492
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/07/11/stars-who-were-once-homeless/slide/steve-jobs/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/successful-people-obstacles_n_3964459.html
Steps to Overcome Adversities
There are many ways to overcome adversity. There are many things you should be doing, though, to make the process easier.
The first thing you should do is to accept the situation and don't try to put it aside if it is troubling. In many cases, this prevents you from overcoming the problem. Secondly, you should try to get back up and take action. If you refrain from taking action, the problem will never be solved. Then, you should stay calm. Being agitated will only overwhelm you and make things more stressful. Finally, you should just move on and make things better the next time. If you keep thinking back on the problem, the stress or disappointment will keep coming back to you.
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