5 Biggest Hardships to Overcome in Life

Just as life has different curves, so does the business world. The unpredictable nature of these two has seen people experience some of the biggest hardships that are difficult to overcome. While this tends to be difficult and disappointing, the experience can be rechanneled to change your worldview, life knowledge and build tenacity towards surviving.

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, exemplified this when he found his way back into Apple Incorporation after being fired. With the vision to succeed despite the odds, he resurrected the company and made the Apple product one of the most sought-after products in the world.

Also, Femi Otedola did not give in to the business challenges he faced in a day that cost him over $1.2 billion. Today, he is worth billions of naira.

Although the challenges might defer, the fact remains that everyone experiences challenges. The onus thus lies on you to overcome them or not. If you are yet to experience some threatening ones, here are some of the biggest hardships life might throw your way.

Health issues

Health is wealth, which explains why renowned businessmen and women do not joke with it. They can recover any wealth they lost with good health, but with bad health, they cannot. This makes it one of the hardest things to overcome. 

Until you pass through some life-threatening experiences, you will not understand the importance of living healthily. David Koch, an American billionaire who fought cancer, said, “You know, once you’ve stood up to cancer, everything else feels like a pretty easy fight.”

Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, also realised that health was the hardest thing to overcome in life when he was battling pancreatic cancer. He said, “You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you, but you cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – life.”

Therefore, always remember it at every stage of your life and enjoy a healthy life — sunlight, rest, exercise, diet, self-confidence and friends.

Failure

Failure is a part of life and is essential for development. Though it brings about self-development,  it can be challenging to get over and can be a big hurdle even for the strongest of individuals.

The truth, however, remains that if you do not fail, you are yet to achieve anything. The act of embracing failure is the first step to overcoming life.

Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, said, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating.” So fail as many times as you can. This way, you are innovating and discovering new things.

Thomas Edison, an American entrepreneur’s idea of failure also aligns with Musk. He said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

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Financial crises

Capital serves as the pillar of every successful business. The inability to access the needed capital at its inception or midway has led to the end of different business ideas. The inflationary state of the world economy has further made this unbearable for some people and businesses.

For many businesses, this has proved hard to surmount, with no source of funds. While financial crises have led to the closure of businesses such as Zoto and Enron, some business tycoons have been able to weather this trial period.

In 2008, Femi Otedola, a Nigerian oil tycoon, lost over $1.2 billion. He said, “I had two options, either to commit suicide or to weather the storm. I decided to weather the storm. I just knew it was a phase I had to go through. You see, God prepares you for greater things, and of course, experience is the best teacher, so I had to learn my lessons. I took the bitter pill.” Although challenging, he weathered the storm and became a billionaire.

Mental breakdown

Challenging mental health has made some renowned people anxious, depressed, and suicidal. At times, it might be due to pressure from life and business and varies from one person to another. Due to the toll it has on affected people, sensitisations are made to address such issues. This has helped some people open up instead of being silent.

In order to stabilise his mental health, Bill Gates once said, “Of my mental cycles, I devote maybe 10% to business thinking. Business isn’t that complicated.” Suffice to say, instead of worrying about things unimportant and cannot control, concentrate on the most challenging and pressing task. This way, you relieve yourself of unwanted tension.

Loneliness

The place of family and friends cannot be overemphasised in one’s life. This is because nobody is an island. However, a sense of loneliness due to isolation by self or others is a hard mindset to overcome once inflated.   

Since the place of family and friends cannot be quantified, Steve Jobs said, “Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down. Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others.

I hope you realise when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, That is true happiness!!”

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