Definition Paper Final Draft 2

Success seems ever so distant; it is blotted out by the dark, ominous clouds that loom overhead. These clouds represent the adversities that lay before goals and dreams. They must be surpassed in order to be successful; yet, those goals would be meaningless without that adversity. A person is proud of their accomplishments because of what they had to overcome, not the job, not the car, or fame they acquire in the end.
The dictionary definition of adversity, in my personal opinion, fails to define adversity in a positive light that it deserves. In literal terms adversity is as follows: “Adverse fortune or fate; a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress” (dictionary.com). This definition does not give any of the positive aspects that adversity brings. I believe that, adversity is the hardships and obstacles that must be removed in order to reach the desired goal or outcome. It is sustenance that makes dreams and goals materialize in to the world, so goals would meaningless without the challenges because they could be reached by all. This is why the adversity we hate and face is what we end up loving and being proud of.
Through the years, the meaning adversity has changed little throughout history. It has been associated with a challenge and improving as a result. Even in Malcolm X’s generation it was viewed the same way. Malcolm X said, “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time” (Malcolm X). That is why the adversity is so unique. The meaning is written into stone, and it hasn’t changed through the passage of time. It is almost like the word knows what it is, and will not change. Even in a word, that is a rare because languages constantly evolve throughout generations.
In my personal opinion, the real world form of adversity is my swim coach, Lynn Painter. Like adversity, the first impression fails to due justice towards Painter. Painter has a looming presence that can easily intimidate the people around him. The feeling of intimidation is solidified with his uncanny ability to create sets that nothing less than the definition of adversity. During those seven thousand yard practices, a swimmer begins to question whether or not they are capable of swimming that far and push through the pain. Painter loves to place those barriers in paths of his swimmers, in the hopes that they are able to push through them. In addition to the gaining endurance, he wants his swimmer to confront the doubtful voice in your head when it begins to protest against the exertion of Painter’s practice. That little voice must be muted because it is what keeps a swimmer’s true potential from being realized. Paint puts his swimmers through adversity because he wants make his athletes better and people because that is his goal. Adversity, also shares the same goal as Painter because as Walt Disney put it, “All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you” (Walt Disney). This is why I feel that Paint is one of the best coaches I have ever had, and I have had plenty. He is one of the best because he really does care about all of his swimmers that care about swimming.
My life is dependent on adversity, especially in answering who I am and what am I capable of. When I am facing adversity, I feel like those answers slowly come to surface. Last summer, that is part of the reason I decided to become a lifeguard at the Family Funplex in Greeley. I became a lifeguard because I wanted to see how I would react under the extreme stress of saving someone’s child or life. Would I be frozen in place by fear or would I do what I was trained to do? The question of finding out who I am has haunted me like a specter for the majority of my life. I seek adversity to answer that question because it is the only true way answer that question. Then if I discover a flaw in my character, I correct it so that I can be better. It is my belief that everyone needs adversity to grow and flourish, and I try to practice that each and every day; because as Johnson Samuel said, “Adversity has ever been considered the state in which a man most easily becomes acquainted with himself” (Samuel). Also, adversity shows me what I am capable of. I feel that when my back is against the wall, and I have no other option than to overcome what is cornering me, that is when I am at my best. My persistent flaw of over analyzing problems often times limits me in what I can do, but when adversity presents an overwhelming challenge I can stop thinking and focus. When I swim, I always look for that one person that will doubt me and say that I am not good enough. I search for that person because I see him or her as a barrier that must be surpassed so that I can prove them wrong. Because there is nothing better than seeing the look that is on their face once you passed through all the adversity and have reached that point that they never said you would reach.
The effect adversity has on my character is what seek so I may be better physically and mentally. Just the idea of adversity fuels my drive to reach my goals and make a difference in the world around me. It is my hope that others can get something from this essay, and face adversity rather than try to avoid it. Even if adversity decisively defeats you; use that defeat to learn and try again. That is the beauty of using adversity as an advantage, rather than thinking of it as a negative.