“There is no education like adversity.” ~Disraeli

When I read that quote it made me think of all the things I’ve learned in life that have made me who I am today that I learned in the midst of adversity. Many times those are our greatest opportunities to learn and to grow. It’s also those times that many people throw in the towel and totally “miss” what they were supposed to “get”.

One of the greatest recent examples of learning through adversity can be found by looking back to the 2008 Big 10 Indoor Track Championships when Heather Dorniden falls down during the Women’s 600m race with only one lap to go and gets back up and wins at the end by a slim margin. Even the slightest hesitation on her part about whether to get back up would have cost her the race. If you’ve never seen the video then watch it now and while you watch Heather’s inspiring performance think back to a time in your life when you let adversity teach you one of life’s greatest lessons- “never give up.”