Erasing Adversity: Delight in Living

By Linda Hnetynka Gullo

Erasing a pencil error is easier than removing one written in ink. Likewise, when adverse moments happen to us, we can box ourselves in by feeling that things are permanent. We set our own limitations by refusing to recognize there are other approaches. Erasing Adversity gives us hope and helps with healing. It assists us in recognizing when things go terribly wrong that there are options and opportunities. Let the situation you have at hand commission you to think and move forward.
Loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, illness, or anything that has halted you from loving life fully has a silver lining. It is learning to recognize and embrace what is still available that can help us to recreate happiness.
It is when something is missing that we learn its value!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499074796

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Linda Gullo.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014916954

ISBN:      Hardcover     978-1-4990-7477-2

                Softcover       978-1-4990-7478-9

                eBook            978-1-4990-7479-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/22/2014

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Contents

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1   University of Adversity

Chapter 2   Our Good Friday

Chapter 3   Morning Brings Hope

Chapter 4   Stop the Unraveling

Chapter 5   Things Are Missing!

Chapter 6   Painful & Costly

Chapter 7   A Halted Melody

Chapter 8   Scenes of Lamentation

Chapter 9   His Prized Van

Chapter 10   The Hidden Story

Chapter 11   Would you believe?

Chapter 12   Summer Arrives

Chapter 13   The Year from Hell

Chapter 14   The Hat Exchange

Chapter 15   Keep On Walking

Chapter 16   Looking Ahead Helps

Chapter 17   The Melody Stops

Chapter 18   The Tides Keep Turning

Dedication

This book is dedicated to those who witnessed that life could still be the best regardless of the misfortune they have endured. They had faith and made the decision always to see the whole story with clarity and thankfulness.

That includes my father, who lost his parents early in life. He suffered through polio and later in life dealt with lung cancer, a stroke, and heart issues. He worked hard to provide for our family—I don’t recall him complaining. Every Sunday, he went to church and thanked God for allowing him to enjoy another week. He carried a genuine and perpetual smile on his face.

My mother lived with Discord and Systemic Lupus for almost 50 years. Even with repeated medical treatments, scarring, and pain, she managed to raise a family and teach us compassion and gratitude. Her faith was contagious.

Tony patiently continues to accept his limitations. He has pushed me beyond what I saw as stationary obstacles. I have learned the real meaning of the wedding vows, for better or for worse.

To our children, who have grown into the most generous and kind-hearted adults; by far, our children are the best gifts God has given us!

Website: ErasingAdversity.com

Note: Names have been changed to protect the privacy of some characters.

Introduction

In times of adversity, it is hard to face facts and know how to react. We may not like the cards dealt out to us, but confidently embracing the circumstances will help to quell difficult times.

Everyone has a story to tell. Each one is unique and continually changes and evolves, but we take part in one another’s story. It is what I find so exhilarating and fascinating. Each person is so different—each created with a different profile and learned behaviors. We thrive because we are so similar yet so different.

Catastrophes, like the loss of a limb, an overdose of medication, death of a loved one, or a disease that robs one’s health are not the only times of adversity. There are times of enduring rebellious, teenage children and the impact on our extended family. Adversity can be a teacher of lessons; but like teachers, difficult times come and go. We learn along the way, using what is important to us. We leave behind the things that hold little value.

A colleague once demonstrated to me how she fought cancer and learned from it. Though a young widow and mother, she was determined to raise her son. Adversity revealed her purpose clearly. She earned a living and ensured the boy became a successful, loving man. Even when her cancer kept returning in different forms, she knew her purpose was to help others.

Erasing Adversity is a story about our family and how we learned to find hope and to build resilience in small doses along the journey. It is how we collected and preserved pieces of wisdom gleaned from some miserable times.

Have you ever erased an answer on a test but later discovered it was the correct one? When we make mistakes, we usually remember what we did wrong. That gives us the permission to learn and prosper.

One doesn’t really want to erase adversity. Properly channeled mistakes and times of heartache can become opportunities to learn, to help others, and to become influential. When adverse moments happen to us, we can accept them and let time and walking through them help us to grow.

Adversity can become an essential building block for growth. Let the less than desirable event become a positive in your life. It provides us hope and help with healing. It assists us in recognizing when things go terribly wrong that there are options and better chances to change things in the future. Let the situation you have at hand commission you to think and move forward.

Loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, an illness, or anything that has halted you from loving life fully has a silver lining. It is learning to recognize and embrace what is still available that can help us to recreate happiness. Only when something is missing do we learn its value.

Erasing adversity is not about avoiding the obstacles or thinking we are the only ones who have issues. It is about eliminating thoughts and limitations we create in our mind. It’s about keeping hope alive and forging through the unknown with a sense of inner strength. It is about prioritizing what is important and not getting caught up in nonsense, trivia, and gossip.

Adversity is necessary because it makes us who we are. It teaches, refines, and builds character. It makes us stronger. Adversity is what we resist the most, but unites us to others and gives us compassion and empathy.

Many of us grow up thinking life will play out a certain way and that we can control the outcome. We learn this fallacy from different facets of outside stimulus. We often seek serenity in all the wrong places. We cannot guarantee a pain-free life to those that follow us. We