Don't be the Victim.

      When faced with adversity often times people take the easy route or avoid the struggle.  I am hear to tell you that if you want any meaningful success in life this is the exact opposite of what you should do.  The struggles I have faced in my life have been very minimal compared to many people but when I stopped saying I can't do this or this isn't fair and I switched my mindset to this has to get done and it will get done, it has always gotten done.  Every struggle since has been a progression.  I compare it to building muscle, without any struggle or any resistance you will never build any muscle.  If you want joy in your life you are going to have to put yourself through meaningful work.  In our society we value jobs that are the most difficult to obtain, if we say the exact opposite we have no value for the easiest jobs.  This to me means we do not have true value for anything that comes too easy.  My life up to this point has been about aligning my interests with a career I value, and hopefully in return this will lead to joy.  Which I believe it will because I am more than excited to wake up every single day.  One of my biggest tools for motivation has been my parents.  The adversity of growing up fatherless is something that really pushed me in my high schools years and is now something that is motivating me in an entirely different way.  What I find of value in adversity is working through the struggle not just accepting it and letting it consume you.  Ex. A child's father is an Alcoholic so instead of striving to avoid this addiction they accept that it is inevitable and proceed to become an alcoholic anyways.  Nothing is 100% guaranteed in the life except death so do not accept playing the victim and do not accept permanent failure.  To avoid this I make small goals daily on top of bigger goals weekly, monthly, and yearly.  Do not accept the weaknesses people place upon you instead recognize your strengths and build upon those.  I can't tell you how many times my best photos have come from shooting almost identical photos over and over again and making slight changes over several months.  Lastly don't accept what politicians tell you daily, that you deserve everything to be handed to you.  No matter how rich, or how poor your parents are no matter what advantages somebody has been handed, and no matter what things you are missing you cannot fake WORK.  The Universe only lets you deserve one thing and that is what you work for.  Find a way and go demand what you work for.