Growing up an orphan and a homeless teen, I’ve experienced more than my fair share of adversity. Some to a greater extent than others, but misfortune is universal and something that we’ve all been forced to deal with. We always talk about overcoming adversity, which is important, but take it a step further. Make peace with it, use it to fuel your ambitions and make you better.

Try not to hold grudges or focus on what has gone wrong in your life. This will do more personal harm than good and ultimately hold you back. Face and accept those situations but don’t allow them to define you. Instead, focus on what the situations taught you, about people, life and yourself. There is a great deal we can learn from adversity if we are open to doing so.

Adversity is a great character builder. Overcoming obstacles will make you a much stronger person than if you’d had an easy path. And it actually gives you an advantage over those who’ve had things handed to them. You will always be the more resilient one, better equipped to handle change and deal with failure because you’ve been there.

So, the next time you’re up against it, welcome the challenge. Embrace the adversity and the lessons that it will leave with you. Mentally thank those people that made things more difficult, knowing that you will emerge an even better version of yourself on the other side.