Opportunity in Adversity

Opportunity in Adversity.

When adversity hits us, we are most unlikely to see opportunity at all. Quite the contrary. Yet, how we behave in the midst of these situations can be of tremendous value to our children, family and anyone who cares to observe. We have the power of choice, and should we exercise it wisely, we can model behaviour that demonstrates how to deal with adversity.

As parents we model behaviour all the time. When we demonstrate our own resilience, our children will observe and learn from that. We must also never be afraid to show weakness. If we do we merely pretend, and our kids grow up in a false and superficial environment. 

How then do we show resilience? When we are weak we should grab on to our anchors. For the religious this would mean turning to their deity. Aside from some religious figure, it is essential that we also have human 'anchors', be it family or true friends. We should also refer back to times when we were in trouble, and how we got through at the time.

In the midst of adversity, we can act out in anger, swear, shout and rant. Our children will most certainly behave in a similar way when they grow up. We also have the greatest opportunity to act with constraint and cultivate the correct behaviour for the benefit of future parents!