Tuesday's Talk

Tavia Robinson
Nov 18, 2025
2 min read

Tuesday’s Talk:

The Opportunity Adversity Can Provide**

“The gem cannot be polished without friction.” — Chinese Proverb

How do these words land for you today?

Before leaning into the deeper meaning, let’s create a moment of presence:

Inhale deeply… exhale slowly.

Inhale again… release gently.

One more time… inhale… exhale…

Allow your mind to arrive, and your spirit to settle.

Now, consider this:

Are you a gem?

By definition, a gem is valued for its beauty, resilience, and unmistakable worth. In coaching, we often help clients rediscover these same qualities within themselves—especially when life applies pressure.

Yet gems don’t shine without friction.

And friction, as defined, is dissension, conflict, or challenge brought on by differing ideas or conditions.

So the real question becomes:

How do you handle adversity?

Take a moment to reflect:

What is your instinctive first reaction when something unexpected or uncomfortable hits your path?
Do you respond differently in professional spaces than in personal ones?
- Should you? Why or why not?
What values, assumptions, or old narratives are shaping your reactions?

These reflective questions allow leaders, teams, and organizations to shift from reacting to responding—a core coaching distinction.

Drawing from insights in How To Stay Mentally Strong When Dealing With Unexpected Adversity and research on resilience, we’re reminded that stability emerges not from avoiding difficulty, but from strengthening our mindset and expanding our emotional range.

Medium writer Raphael Onuku notes that adversity often functions as an “unseen strength trainer,” revealing inner capacity we didn’t realize we had.

Gay Hendricks challenges us with this powerful inquiry:

“What am I needing to learn that I’ve created this adversity for?”

This is a master-level coaching question—one that shifts us from victimhood to authorship.

Commitment to Self: (Gay Hendricks, A Year of Living Consciously)

I commit to learning from experience when necessary, and to learning from wisdom when possible.
I commit to learning from wisdom when doing so can prevent unnecessary pain to me and others.

Let that sink in...

Adversity—while uncomfortable—can be a profound teacher. As one anonymous voice reminds us:

“I am thankful for the adversities which have crossed my path and taught me tolerance, perseverance, self-control, and some other virtues I might never have known.”

As leaders, creators, influencers, and human beings navigating politically charged and emotionally draining times, you are invited to recognize the gem quality within yourself:

resilient, steady, irreplaceable, and capable of shining even when pressure mounts.