“Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.”
—William Shakespeare 

You lost the election.

You bet on the wrong stock.

You missed the game winning field goal.

You fell down face first into a pile of mud.

And it hurt. 

It still does sometimes.

But you weren’t meant to remain in pain.

The pain – the adversity, is an opportunity to grow, to learn, to prosper, but in the moments it happens it’s almost impossible to appreciate.

Adversity doesn’t feel good, but it carries within it a gift.

The gift of experience.

“Experience is the teacher of all things.”
—Julius Caesar

The gift may be hidden, but it’s there, waiting for you to find it, open it, & move forward – stronger, wiser, and ready for the next opportunity.