Hard Times Can Make You Stronger and More Successful

There are benefits to overcoming adversity

We all go through difficult times in life. It can help us build up the strength to make it through anything.

Going through hard times is beneficial. It makes you tougher, stronger, and more successful.

“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert Schuller, an American Christian televangelist, pastor, motivational speaker, and author

No one really enjoys the experience of losing your job or getting robbed at gunpoint. Both of things have happened to me and they made me stronger.

Psychologists say traumatic events can make you stronger physically and mentally. Research shows people who lived through post-traumatic growth report positive changes in their relationships with others, a better appreciation of life, and new possibilities in life.

“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” — Oprah Winfrey, an American TV personality, actress, and entrepreneur

There’s a benefit to overcoming adversity. When you make your way through tough times, you’ll become stronger and more successful in life. That’s why the phrase “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” really does ring true.

The wisest and most well-rounded people you meet are usually those who have gone through tough times themselves. They have overcome challenges and they have great stories to tell.

As Train and Ashley Monroe sing in one of my favorite songs, Bruises:

“Everybody loses. We all got bruises. These bruises make for better conversation.”

Let’s dive into how tough times can make you stronger and more successful.

1. You realize what really matters to you

Tough times help you discover what really matters to you and what doesn’t. Prioritize what matters to you. Your family. Your friends. Your career.

“The things that matter most must never be at the mercy of the things that matter least.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German writer and statesman

You realize what’s really important to you, what you really care about it, and what you are passionate about.

2. You realize it’s part of the process

Tough times are opportunities. Why? Because they are an inflection point where you turn the bad into the good. In the world of sales, it means “every no is closer to a yes.”

I’m a testament to that. I was handed the pink slip on a Friday afternoon at my old PR firm in Chicago and it was the best thing that could ever happened to me. Tough times are an opportunity to change direction for the better. They help you change your mindset and outlook on life, helping you become a better person.

“Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential.” — Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Success is about the process not the outcome. Success is a result of your daily habits. It’s your persistence and determination to get the job done.

3. The taste of success is sweeter

Success is sweeter after you go through struggles and defeats. You appreciate it more because you saw the opposite of success: failure.

“Success is sweet, the sweeter if long delayed and attained through manifold struggles and defeats.” — A. Bronson Alcott, an American teacher, writer, philosopher

The greater the effort, the sweeter the reward. The harder you work, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it. Success doesn’t come easy but when it does come, it is sweet. You’ll cherish it more.

4. You develop more empathy

Empathy is the ability to put yourself into someone else’s shoes. When you see other people go through tough times, you are aware of their feelings because you were there once. You really understand their needs because you have experienced their trials and tribulations.

“Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” — Bruce Lee, an American-born film actor

People who experience ups and downs gain a better appreciation and understanding of life. You realize that life is hard so you’ll fill your life with more compassion, understanding, and wisdom.

5. You think more positively

Tough times present hard and valuable lessons. They force you to re-evaluate everything. When you overcome tough times, you’ll realize it’s all about how you think about things.

Do you see the glass half empty or half full?

“Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.” — Joyce Brothers, an American psychologist, TV personality, advice columnist, and writer

Hard times will help you become stronger because you know life is tough but you are tougher. You’ll have a positive outlook on life because it can’t get any worse. You have been to the bottom. I know I have. The only way is up.

Bringing it all together

Life has its ups and downs. Hard times can help you rethink your view on the world. It can help you re-center yourself and teach you how you should live your life.

You’ll be more thankful, have more empathy, and you realize what’s really matters to you. It’s not a pleasant experience to go through challenging times, but it’s comforting to know you’ll survive it. You’ll be stronger and more successful in the long run.

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