--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are a few things in life that…" description: "\"“There are a few things in life that occur, that you don't ask for, that are just dealt to you. These things can define you or you can define yourself ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/john-a-passaro-29023_adversity_there-are-a-few-things-in-life-that-occu_1201898.jpg" --- # There are a few things in life that occur, that you don't… ![“There are a few things in life that occur, that you don't ask for, that are just dealt to you. These things can define you or you can define yourself through them. I elect to define myself through overcoming what has been dealt to me in my life. It took thirty-one years and two generations of…” quote by John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/john-a-passaro-29023_adversity_there-are-a-few-things-in-life-that-occu_1201898.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/john-a-passaro-29023_adversity_there-are-a-few-things-in-life-that-occu_1201898.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/john-a-passaro-29023_adversity_there-are-a-few-things-in-life-that-occu_1201898.jpg) > ““There are a few things in life that occur, that you don't ask for, that are just dealt to you. These things can define you or you can define yourself through them. I elect to define myself through overcoming what has been dealt to me in my life. It took thirty-one years and two generations of tweaking to get my first perfect ending. Now I am going to work on my next one.”” [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adversity can shape identity; choosing to overcome defines personal growth. **In simple terms:** Overcoming hardship builds character. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges, shape your narrative. Themes resilience self‑determination growth Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal loss - health challenges - family issues Key Concepts psychology life story Questions to Reflect On - What adversity have you turned into strength? - How does redefining yourself affect future goals? A Different Perspective Not all hardships are within one's control to change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Define Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/define-myself/) [Define yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/define-yourself/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [“I should no longer define myself as the son of a father who couldn’t or hasn’t or wouldn’t or wasn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-conaway/i-should-no-longer-define-myself-as-the-son-of-a-father-who-couldn-t/) [Cameron Conaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-conaway/) > [“Would it be life-changing? You take the cards you’re dealt in life, I guess. Yeah,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-macy/would-it-be-life-changing-you-take-the-cards-you-re-dealt-in-life-i/) [Al Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-macy/) > [“IT'S NOT THE CARDS YOU ARE DEALT IN LIFE, BUT HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ddsherman/it-s-not-the-cards-you-are-dealt-in-life-but-how-you-play-the-game/) DDSherman > [“We don’t get a choice about what hand we are dealt in this life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/we-don-t-get-a-choice-about-what-hand-we-are-dealt-in-this-life/) [Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/) > [The pain is real baby I've dealt with it all my life. 19 years and I'm still putting up a fucking fight. 19 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blevins/the-pain-is-real-baby-i-ve-dealt-with-it-all-my-life-19-years-and-i-m/) [Billy Blevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blevins/) > [“All the basic situations in life occur only once, never to return. 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No one would really miss me if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-underwood/fate-had-somehow-conspired-against-me-giving-me-a-life-of-its/) [Bobby Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-underwood/) > [My whole life I took challenges, I took pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marko-arnautovic/my-whole-life-i-took-challenges-i-took-pressure/) [Marko Arnautovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marko-arnautovic/) > [But clearly life took people and shook them around until finally they were unrecognizable even to those who had once known them well. Still,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/but-clearly-life-took-people-and-shook-them-around-until-finally-they/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [It took me so long to get to the music, where that was what I wanted to do all my life. It took me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-doillon/it-took-me-so-long-to-get-to-the-music-where-that-was-what-i-wanted/) [Lou Doillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-doillon/) ## More by John A. Passaro > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“It is 2:06 am, one of 1488 nights that I lie awake trying to make sense of it all, trying to find an ounce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/it-is-2-06-am-one-of-1488-nights-that-i-lie-awake-trying-to-make/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“In some aspects losing a child is like a wall, but instead of getting over it, you must carry the wall with you, wherever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/in-some-aspects-losing-a-child-is-like-a-wall-but-instead-of-getting/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“There will never be "the right time" in your life to do a great thing. You must create that time and greatness will follow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-will-never-be-the-right-time-in-your-life-to-do-a-great-thing/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“This holiday season has taught me the value of presence over presents. It is good to be home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/this-holiday-season-has-taught-me-the-value-of-presence-over-presents/) [John A. 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Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“Just imagine what would have happened if Michael Jordan quit after getting cut from his High School Basketball team?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/just-imagine-what-would-have-happened-if-michael-jordan-quit-after/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“We spend 8 hours a day, for 10 months a year, for nearly 17 years sending our kids to school to prepare them for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/we-spend-8-hours-a-day-for-10-months-a-year-for-nearly-17-years/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“Today is not the real Father's Day. It is the man made version. The real Father's Day are the other 364 other days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/today-is-not-the-real-father-s-day-it-is-the-man-made-version-the/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“Whose team are you on?” I ask him. “I don’t follow you – what do you mean whose team am I on?” he asks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/whose-team-are-you-on-i-ask-him-i-don-t-follow-you-what-do-you-mean/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“Find a way. It is that simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/find-a-way-it-is-that-simple/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“Went to bed with a dream. Woke up with a purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/went-to-bed-with-a-dream-woke-up-with-a-purpose/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [“The most valuable thing in the world is a good person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/the-most-valuable-thing-in-the-world-is-a-good-person/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) [Explore all 17 John A. Passaro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) S.E. SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are a few things in life that occur, that you don't ask for, that are just dealt to you. These things can define you or you can define yourself through them. I elect to define myself through overcoming what has been dealt to me in my life. 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