What Is Your Advantage?

The Stoics, Seneca and Epictetus especially, spoke frequently about the value gained from adversity. Seneca goes as far as to say that those who have gone unchallenged in life should be pitied, "for he is not permitted to prove himself."

Natural as it is to pursue a life free from adversity, just as naturally should we equip ourselves to find the opportunity in life's inevitable blows. Strengthened character, enhanced perspective, resilience—any misfortune presents the opportunity for increased resolve.

It can be reasonably difficult to see the benefit in every situation. There are some situations which feel so bleak, one might be offended at the idea of being asked to find the benefit in it. But we benefit from asking ourselves what advantage it gives us.

"A boxer derives the greatest advantage from his sparring partner," says Epictetus in Book III of Discourses And Selected Writings, "and my accuser is my sparring partner. He trains me in patience, civility, and even temper."

Your advantage could be an indestructibility cultivated through turmoil that enables you to withstand while others wither. It could be an area of expertise honed over the years that grants a unique edge in a certain pursuit. Perhaps your advantage is a set of circumstances that yielded an appreciation so deep that your experience of life is richer and more vivid, enabling you to create more, give more, live more.

Be it tactical, mental, or emotional, you have an advantage. Operate from it.

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