There are many, many variables in transformation challenges but there is one thing that every successful challenge has in common—adversity.  Adversity is an unanticipated and serious interruption of the challenge routine, and it can be anything from an illness or injury to the unexpected loss of a loved one or some other disruption of a relationship.

When adversity comes to you, be prepared to welcome it, and to use it to your advantage during the remainder of the challenge. Yes, you read that right! I want you to literally welcome adversity. I’m not talking about being glad to see it, but acknowledging its presence, and accepting that this is the way it is. Then, set out to do what it takes to be a winner!

See, it’s not that I am a fan of adversity, I just don’t like pain or suffering. But, I do like what it does to those who are willing to assume the appropriate mindset when it comes. There is an old saying, that has some real truth to it, and it goes like this: “What does not kill you will make you stronger.”
Here are some examples of real live adversity that has propelled people to championship results:
1. Jerry Braam, a 2001 champion, spent a week in the hospital with the flu, and as soon as he got out, he went right back to his challenge and achieved remarkable results, becoming a champion in his age group.
2. Julie Whitt did her challenge with the breathing capacity of one-half of one lung, and literally had to wear supplementary oxygen while working out. She became the 2004 inspirational champion.
3. Margi Faze, the 2007 grand master champion, spent nearly two weeks at home, unable to exercise, because she had to take care of a daughter with a fractured collarbone.
4. Though it was not a body for life challenge, Denise Taylor did her daily workouts at the hospital where her daughter was receiving treatments for cancer. She missed no time at all with her daughter, and exercised while she was asleep or in other routines at the hospital. Her accomplishments and the celebration of her daughter’s life are videos you can see over at transformation.com.
5. Though my situation was minor compared to others, I too saw that welcoming adversity could help more than anything else. I was simply unable to do most of the exercises when I started on August 26 2006, due to injuries, but just did what I could and stuck with the diet very strictly. In the end,  the pain was gone, and the world looked completely different than it did twelve weeks before!

See, it’s interesting that as human beings we crave comfort, ease and wealth. Yet, when we grow stronger is when we are placed under stress and sometimes even painful conditions.  This is not only a physical phenomenon, but a spiritual phenomenon as well. The Apostle Paul found his ministry most successful when he was in chains in prison; Martin Luther King wrote his most important work ever when he was in a Birmingham jail cell. Every sacred writing I am aware of, through doctrine or historical references, makes clear that those of faith are called to suffer as a part of their spiritual journey.

So, when adversity comes, welcome it. How? First of all, by calling it what it is and owning up to it. My big issue was self-pity, and self-pity is like a cockroach. If you call it what it is, you shed light on it, and just like a cockroach, the self-pity will go away because it hates the light.  Second, make a careful assessment. No matter how bad the problem is, you’re going to have to eat anyway, right? So, if all else fails, you can at least eat right. Do that!  And don’t quit trying just because someone told you that you couldn’t do ANY exercises at all. See, doctors are busy, and they hate to see their work undone, so they often just tell you something like, “no exercise for 6 weeks, until you get that ankle healed.” Well, common sense would tell you that as long as you’re not doing lower body exercises, that there are many, many things you can do to keep your upper body occupied. Do those things. The key is to stop worrying about what you CAN’T do, and to start doing what you CAN do.

Simple enough, don’t you think? So, when adversity comes, welcome it; quit whining; and start winning!