Adversity is the catalyst or litmus test of why we do what we do because it makes us question whether we are doing things for the right reasons. We know that adversity and hardship make us better, but some people hope it doesn’t have to be that way because they want to take the easy or quick route to their goals. If you feel like you haven’t faced much adversity in your life, the hard truth is that chances are, you have been living in mediocrity and need to seek adversity or else you will continue to stay stuck. Marcus Aurelius Anderson viewed his adversity as a gift and used it to inspire and teach others how to use hardships to create a meaningful and fulfilled life.

Marcus Aurelius Anderson is back on the 365 Driven podcast, and you can check out episode 23 with Marcus in the episode resources. Marcus is a proud veteran, author of “The Gift of Adversity”, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker, and High-Performance Mindset Coach. He is the creator of the Acta Non Verba movement and host of the Acta Non Verba podcast. While preparing to deploy with the U.S. Army, Marcus suffered a severe spinal injury that left him paralyzed, and his life was turned upside down. In an instant, he went from preparing for war on the battlefield to a war within his own body and mind. After dying on the operating table twice, the surgeons saved his life but told him he’d never walk again. Having no other option, Marcus started doing some in-depth soul-searching, looking for the lesson to be learned from his injury. Once he started seeing his adversity as a gift instead of a curse, everything changed.

In this episode, Marcus is real and honest about why people fail to move toward their goals and purpose in life. We are either moving closer to our goals, or moving further away, so it becomes essential to put ourselves in situations in which we are uncomfortable and lean into that feeling because that is where growth happens. Creating adversity can look like pushing yourself in the gym, or hiring a coach that will call you out on your excuses and push you to do what needs to be done to get the results you want. 

Quote from the episode: 

“Be careful that what you're doing right now to escape your adversity isn't creating more down the line, because it will be waiting for you.” - Marcus Aurelius Anderson 

Key highlights:

• What keeps people stuck?
• The concept of aggressive patience
• The difference between stupidity and ignorance 
• How do we get people to break the cycle of thinking they need to just get to the finish line instead see that it needs to be an acceleration through the finish line? 
• How can we create adversity for ourselves?
• The importance of boundaries and saying “no” to what isn’t aligned with your goals
• Why you need to put yourself first above everyone else 
• The problem with the “must be nice” mentality
• Why you shouldn’t overshare on social media
• The 2 ways to deal with adversity: correctly or again

For resources and links mentioned in this episode, visit: 365driven.com/episode290