Tackle What's Next

3Choose a Greater Perspective

Things don't happen to you. They happen for you.

—Ed Mylett

One of the biggest challenges in life is to see beyond the adversity that life throws at us from nearly the moment we start breathing. Having a greater sense of perspective and learning how to interpret and use adversity in a positive way will fundamentally improve your quality of life. Success is nearly impossible without this skill.

It's not like we can dodge bad things happening. Like death and taxes, adversity will always come at us one way or the other. As a center, I was used to adversity coming at me in a very physical, concrete way all the time (usually in the form of a defensive lineman directly engaging me in hand‐to‐hand combat)!

On the subject of adversity continually occurring in life, a great friend of mine, the University of Louisville FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) director Chris Morgan, would always say, “In life, you're either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or heading into a storm.”

That's an interesting way to look at it, and if you think about it, it makes sense. When you're not in a storm, it's crucial to appreciate the good times and understand that at some point, you'll be heading into one. If you're in the midst of a storm, know that this moment will pass, and eventually, you'll be coming out of it. And if you're about to head into a storm, you must shore up your gifts and your strengths to establish a foundation under you to help prepare you to weather ...