Adversity has been called the grindstone of life. It can polish you up, but hardship can also grind you down. The ultimate result will depend on what you do when difficulties come your way.

There is no doubt that life will bring you both good times and hard times. Before you let the hard times discourage you, consider the exceptional achievements of people who experienced tremendous adversity.

What if Beethoven stopped composing music after he became deaf? What if Columbus had turned back before discovering America or civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had just given up?

Are you in the middle of a crisis right now? It’s possible to use this difficulty to sharpen you and be better for it on the other side.

So if life isn’t working right now, don’t allow it to grind you down. Instead learn to let it polish you into a better person.