40+FAB Blog

No one likes going through a tough time and we all work hard, hope, pray, wish and dream for an easier life. We all try to run away from adversity and find the easiest way out of a situation, but I have come to realize that, as “necessity is the mother of invention”, so it is that adversity has the potential to bring out the innovator in us. 

Thomas Edison, known as one of the greatest inventors of our time developed hearing problems at an early age and was partially deaf. In his early years, he only lasted for 3 months in school before being chucked out; he had to sell candy and newspapers on the streets as a child to make ends meet; yet in his adversity he found his ability to turn a profit and also to innovate. If he did not go through what he did, would we have had the benefits of his inventions such as the light bulb? 

I have been through many challenging circumstances over the years, and as much as I hated having to go through them, deep down, I am thankful for them as the adversity brought out the best in me. 

My brother wrote: 
“Have you ever looked for the easy way out? 
The easy way out is always the hard way in. 
So I look for the hard way in and find the easy way out.” – Kayo Opebiyi 

I have learnt to stop looking for the easy way out and stand up in the midst of adverse circumstances, to survive, to forge ahead, to let the untapped strength on my inside come out. The effort I spent trying to avoid it, I now use to live through and beyond it.