Flying with adversity by Lolo Jones

We have all faced adversity from time to time. Fortunately most of us do not have to deal with our trials in the public eye. Lolo Jones has dealt with adversity on television. In 2008, Jones seemed to be at the top of her game. She won the USA Outdoor Championship, as well as the USA and World Indoor championships. Going into the Beijing Olympics that year, Jones was considered to be an odds-on favorite for the gold. But she stumbled on the second-to-last hurdle in the 100-meter hurdle event, and ended up finishing 17th. Then in the most recent Olympics she came in 4th not obtaining a medal, but running one of the best races of her life. 

Here is what she says about adversity:

Anytime a bad thing happens, when I haven't made a team or I've been injured, I think. There's got to be a reason for this. Adversities make you mad, they make you sad, they literally break you down, but if you fight through them, they make you stronger, sharper and more motivated.

Flying with hard lessons

I wonder if I would learn anything if I never encountered difficult situations. Would I be happier learning from other people's mistakes instead of my own? I'm not sure. I cannot imagine what my life would be like. There are a few mistakes that I wish I had not made. Maybe I am stronger because of them. Maybe they are necessary for some reason that I don't quite understand.

The hard lessons make a difference. The difference makes it worth it.

Lolo Jones