Yes! If we choose to recognize it, I think wisdom is ceded to us far more in adversity than it is in comfort, which makes sense. It’s evolutionary, a survival mechanism. In the modern age, people who find wisdom, knowledge, or purpose in adversity are, I think, those who appreciate life the most. I hope that we who are most concerned with our current political dilemma will find the drive, wisdom, and purpose to make a better America - as soon as we’ve removed the current malignancy. That’s what I see as our lesson, and we will be the wiser for it.
There is a lot to be said for simple comfort and security, though.
Agreed. Comfort and security wrap a person in safety and what could be better than that? (well, being wrapped in love is right up there but love implies safety so there is that....). The thing that gets me about adversity s that in the thick of the difficult moments, I, for one, have not always been able to see beyond that hard time. It's after the fact that I see the value and growth of the hard time. That suggests the wisdom of that Robert Frost line: "The best way out is always through." Once you've made it through the crisis, reflection can provide the wisdom.
You have a big opportunity ahead for growth and expansion. I hope you are keeping some kind of journal so you can reflect back on the high points as well as the opportunties for growth?
That's another great observation, Gracie. In the midst of adversity, when the unfairness of life and the attendant suffering seem overwhelming, we are not likely to think, "well maybe I can learn something." More likely, like Job, we think, "why me?' Because of all these excellent comments on the value of struggle and pain, I'm going to resurrect a piece for Substack I published long ago on the very subject. I'd like to update it with some gems from this discussion.
Yes, I think you are right, Fred. We tend to lean towards the "why me?' yet every life has difficult moments. You can't take them away. If you are lucky, you will find ways to learn and grow from them. Thanks for reading and commenting.
I so agree with your comment here, Gracie. Losing a job, bankruptcy, loss of my husband…these were hard and scary and overwhelming at the time. But I got through it, learned resilience, courage, strength and empowerment lie deep inside us… rising up
as we persevere and find our way out of poverty, grief, sad/bad times. As I grow along, I tell my kids it all enriched me. Strange word to use, but it’s made me who I am!
Exactly! Enriched! That's the perfect word, Joan. For me, the best example is an early marriage that taught me SO much. As a divorce closed in on me, I became suicidal and truly believed my life was over. But even within five years of the divorce, I knew that , in some ways, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. The pain on both sides was incredible but so was the growth. Just, BTW, many years after the divorce, my former husband and I were able to recognize that, at the time of the marriage, we just kids doing the best we could. We were able to forgive each other and now have a deep and respectful friendship. This is my reference point for tragedy having positive outcomes.
I have been thinking of how best to capture thoughts as they occur on my journey. I have a formal log for the basic nautical stuff. I will video segments with commentary for posting. But based on your suggestion, I’ll keep an actual notepad at the helm as well and do a daily journal!
I’ve always been one who thinks best on paper. I’ve journaled my way through some difficult things over the last couple years. When I occasionally check back on what I wrote, I’m often surprised at the intensity of my feelings at the moment, things I have since paved over. That alone can be a revelation.
Especially if you've journaled before, you might find that to be a helpful way of documenting (and then remembering) how the experience feels. The good part about a personal journal is language be damned, punctuation, sentence structure too! I think it's a task while you're on the trip but one that you will appreciate in a year when initial memories have faded. As you say, life tends to pave over the frustrations or joys and having an account to review later makes it more real. I regret not doing more journaling in my life. I seem to go in and out of it, mostly based on how pressing the obligations in life are at the moment. But I wish I'd done more.
In something of the same way as my disdain for winter heightens my appreciation of spring, I’m sure adversity of pretty much any kind makes us appreciate even more what is good by comparison. Even if, as is too often the case, the cause of the adversity is still present.
Great piece, Gracie. I would say you are right in the sense that there are often silver linings in suffering and struggle. It's hard for us to appreciate the extraordinary blessing it is to have been born in this time and place, without having to work for it. The comment by OregonBoatingGuy stated it beautifully. The current generation hasn't had to struggle much, and has suffered even less. Lowered standards in schools add to the problem. If education lacks challenge, effort, uncertainty, and even failure, they plunge into the world expecting the same. I wonder how the freed Israeli hostages feel about the merits of suffering.
I think about the home in which I grew up. There was practically zero discretionary money and , honestly, all the kids mowed lawns or did babysitting or worked at the local independent grocer's in order to help with household expenses (you kept 10% of what you earned... the rest went to the house). But the funny thing is, w were and still are a tight knit famly. We have shared memories and we know we can depend on each other when life turns difficult. Out of the hardships of childhood, emerged nine siblings who are all responsible, hard working, kind people. I wonder how much of that is b/c of the hardships?
Yes! If we choose to recognize it, I think wisdom is ceded to us far more in adversity than it is in comfort, which makes sense. It’s evolutionary, a survival mechanism. In the modern age, people who find wisdom, knowledge, or purpose in adversity are, I think, those who appreciate life the most. I hope that we who are most concerned with our current political dilemma will find the drive, wisdom, and purpose to make a better America - as soon as we’ve removed the current malignancy. That’s what I see as our lesson, and we will be the wiser for it.
There is a lot to be said for simple comfort and security, though.
Agreed. Comfort and security wrap a person in safety and what could be better than that? (well, being wrapped in love is right up there but love implies safety so there is that....). The thing that gets me about adversity s that in the thick of the difficult moments, I, for one, have not always been able to see beyond that hard time. It's after the fact that I see the value and growth of the hard time. That suggests the wisdom of that Robert Frost line: "The best way out is always through." Once you've made it through the crisis, reflection can provide the wisdom.
You have a big opportunity ahead for growth and expansion. I hope you are keeping some kind of journal so you can reflect back on the high points as well as the opportunties for growth?
That's another great observation, Gracie. In the midst of adversity, when the unfairness of life and the attendant suffering seem overwhelming, we are not likely to think, "well maybe I can learn something." More likely, like Job, we think, "why me?' Because of all these excellent comments on the value of struggle and pain, I'm going to resurrect a piece for Substack I published long ago on the very subject. I'd like to update it with some gems from this discussion.
Yes, I think you are right, Fred. We tend to lean towards the "why me?' yet every life has difficult moments. You can't take them away. If you are lucky, you will find ways to learn and grow from them. Thanks for reading and commenting.
I so agree with your comment here, Gracie. Losing a job, bankruptcy, loss of my husband…these were hard and scary and overwhelming at the time. But I got through it, learned resilience, courage, strength and empowerment lie deep inside us… rising up
as we persevere and find our way out of poverty, grief, sad/bad times. As I grow along, I tell my kids it all enriched me. Strange word to use, but it’s made me who I am!
Exactly! Enriched! That's the perfect word, Joan. For me, the best example is an early marriage that taught me SO much. As a divorce closed in on me, I became suicidal and truly believed my life was over. But even within five years of the divorce, I knew that , in some ways, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. The pain on both sides was incredible but so was the growth. Just, BTW, many years after the divorce, my former husband and I were able to recognize that, at the time of the marriage, we just kids doing the best we could. We were able to forgive each other and now have a deep and respectful friendship. This is my reference point for tragedy having positive outcomes.
Thank you for reading and responding.
I have been thinking of how best to capture thoughts as they occur on my journey. I have a formal log for the basic nautical stuff. I will video segments with commentary for posting. But based on your suggestion, I’ll keep an actual notepad at the helm as well and do a daily journal!
I’ve always been one who thinks best on paper. I’ve journaled my way through some difficult things over the last couple years. When I occasionally check back on what I wrote, I’m often surprised at the intensity of my feelings at the moment, things I have since paved over. That alone can be a revelation.
Especially if you've journaled before, you might find that to be a helpful way of documenting (and then remembering) how the experience feels. The good part about a personal journal is language be damned, punctuation, sentence structure too! I think it's a task while you're on the trip but one that you will appreciate in a year when initial memories have faded. As you say, life tends to pave over the frustrations or joys and having an account to review later makes it more real. I regret not doing more journaling in my life. I seem to go in and out of it, mostly based on how pressing the obligations in life are at the moment. But I wish I'd done more.
In something of the same way as my disdain for winter heightens my appreciation of spring, I’m sure adversity of pretty much any kind makes us appreciate even more what is good by comparison. Even if, as is too often the case, the cause of the adversity is still present.
Thank you, Bruce for reading and for your thoughtful comment. The adversity is still present but it's what we do with it that matters, right?
Great piece, Gracie. I would say you are right in the sense that there are often silver linings in suffering and struggle. It's hard for us to appreciate the extraordinary blessing it is to have been born in this time and place, without having to work for it. The comment by OregonBoatingGuy stated it beautifully. The current generation hasn't had to struggle much, and has suffered even less. Lowered standards in schools add to the problem. If education lacks challenge, effort, uncertainty, and even failure, they plunge into the world expecting the same. I wonder how the freed Israeli hostages feel about the merits of suffering.
I think about the home in which I grew up. There was practically zero discretionary money and , honestly, all the kids mowed lawns or did babysitting or worked at the local independent grocer's in order to help with household expenses (you kept 10% of what you earned... the rest went to the house). But the funny thing is, w were and still are a tight knit famly. We have shared memories and we know we can depend on each other when life turns difficult. Out of the hardships of childhood, emerged nine siblings who are all responsible, hard working, kind people. I wonder how much of that is b/c of the hardships?
Thanks for staying curious, positive, hopeful, Gracie. We need to help each other through this diseased government landscape. 🙏🏻