Chameleon Quandary: The Necessity of Adversity
By Craig Marshall   ©2004 All Rights Reserved

So things have been tough lately, huh? Well, you know what they say. When the going gets tough, the tough - well - just try to forget about it! Sure, where would we be without the diversion of recreation and hobbies? Some folks collect stuff; some enjoy sports, some like to read. Me, I like to keep and breed reptiles (no, don't leave - please keep reading!). Those of you who read The Principle of the Turtle Hunter know that my fascination with cold-blooded critters goes way back. Now I enjoy keeping unusual lizards and turtles. But don't worry. I don't have any snakes. And yes, I'm still married - happily. My wife even likes the scaly critters!

Anyway, I was working on a breeding project a few years ago. My female veiled chameleon had spent 3 days digging an appropriate "nest," laid about 35 eggs, and spent the next 2 days burying her eggs. Now to successfully end up with baby critters, the eggs have to be incubated very precisely. So I dug up the eggs and placed them in a carefully prepared incubator. A friend who was very curious about this whole, alien process was intrigued and just a bit incensed as I explained the process. "Boy, you're a nice guy," he said. "You let that poor little, exhausted animal spend 2 days burying eggs just so you could dig 'em up?! Why didn't you spare her the trouble?" My friend had a very good question that has a deeply profound answer. You see, there operates within nature a law of efficiency. The processes and interactions of creatures with one another and their environments are never wasted. Each action, each instinctive choice taken to overcome difficulties or obstacles contributes to survival and propagation. My chameleon faced a huge obstacle. Before she could rest, she had to properly bury her eggs. But as she did so, physiological processes took place in her body that began restoring her body to its "normal" condition. Had I denied her the opportunity to bury her eggs, I would have compromised her recovery and endangered her life. My chameleon experienced the necessity of adversity. As we pursue both business and personal matters, it's crucial to recognize (with apologies to motivational gurus everywhere) that difficulties are more than just opportunities. Difficulties, obstacles and all forms of adversity are necessities in our lives. There are three areas of our lives where the necessity of adversity is most keenly felt: * Character development - It's a paradox of life that in order to learn patience, we must go through situations that require patience; in order to learn perseverance, we must endure hardship; that joy is most fully realized in the presence of pain. Talk about on the job training! * Career development - I've been in career transition for the last year. Why? Failing health. I'd take my health back in an instant, but without the struggle, I would never have so drastically re-evaluated my career paradigm. As a result (and even though things are still kind of scary) I'm enjoying greater professional fulfillment. What is your career obstacle/catalyst? Downsizing? Midlife crisis? Family needs? Boredom? * Relationship development - The Proverb says that as iron sharpens iron, so the countenance of one man sharpens another. How useful is a dull blade? It's a tool unable to accomplish the purpose for which it was designed. And have you ever seen a dull blade sharpened without friction? Interacting with others in both our professional and personal lives results in interpersonal friction. But that friction is necessary to "sharpen" us so that we move ever closer to achieving our potential. Do you want to reach your business potential? Do you want to reach your personal potential? Then you must embrace the necessity of adversity experienced in the struggle of interpersonal friction. When a butterfly breaks free of its chrysalis it experiences the necessity of adversity. The tremendous effort and energy expended by the butterfly during its breakout causes blood to be pumped through tiny veins in the wings. This causes the deeply creased and folded wings to unfurl and expand. If you were to help the butterfly overcome the struggle of leaving the chrysalis, it would be forever unable to fly! As which butterfly would you prefer to live, crippled or free? When the going gets tough, don't run from the struggle. Be thankful! And if you're not fortunate enough to be dealing with adversity right now, don't worry. You will be soon enough! Why? Because of the necessity of adversity.

is an ordained minister. He founded Health- Wealth-e and Wise with his wife, Jeanie, to help people with the transition to greater health and financial freedom. Visit HWW at: http://www.healthewealtheandwise.com or, say "hi" via email: Craig@healthewealtheandwise.com

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