Points to Ponder:

"Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want." --Jim Rohn

Facing adversity is a part of social existence: pure and simple. Despite our best efforts and intentions, all of us are bound to be disappointed or hurt by actions or inactions of others at some point in the course of our lives. Interestingly, this may be especially true for people who are open to new experience and like to live their lives with gusto; always searching to expand their boundaries on intellectual, social or professional levels. After all, the more experiences one chooses to have, the greater the chance that a failure or disappointment may be found at some point along the way.

What is critical to remember, however, is that it is up to those challenged as to how these obstacles will impact their lives. Eventually, we all have to learn to live with the bad as well as the good. We simply can't afford to become unduly discouraged when a new experience does not go according to our plan or when something we learned to rely on actually lets us down. We need to grow resilient and find in ourselves the strength to bounce back from stress or adversity. We need to train ourselves to turn negativity into a powerful force that will help us to grow even more -- as loving, caring and compassionate individuals. Only then can we develop a positive self-image that will be a cornerstone of future self-development. We want to continue to experience our own worlds in positive ways and we want to continue believing that ultimately we create our own reality.  

Above all we must remember that the key to managing any change is managing learning.