Adversity By Dr. Udall

The topic of Dr. Udall’s lecture was how to define success despite adversity. The theme centered around the definition of success, and how transform ones troubles into stepping stones leading to success. During the lecture, Dr. Udall touch on a lot of key points, some of which stood out more than others. It should be noted that unlike other presentations, this lecture was very involving. In trying to prove that problems plague people everywhere, for instance, Dr. Udall instructed the class to write down their troubles on a piece of paper and put them in a bag, from which he would read out to the class (anonymously). The results of this activity were quite surprising. As it turned out, adversity is everywhere, and a Nicholls Honors class
In trying to reinforce the concept that success despite adversity is possible, and that as a result of adversity people can become more compassionate (instead of taking out their stress negatively) Dr. Udall went on to talk about a dear lady friend of his. As it turns out, Dr. Udall’s friends brother died at a young age, her family fell apart, her father had a mental illness, her child also inherited mental problems, and she ended her marriage in divorce. Despite all this trauma, however, as Dr. Udall’s friend remained strong, and everywhere she went people enjoyed her presence. At this point, Dr. Udall also became emotional (she has passed away). As the presentation continued, Dr. Udall a commented on the definition of resilience and the importance of setting goals. He supplemented his points by using famous quotes and literary works from people such as Harry E. Fosdick, E.A. Robinson, and even Zorba the Greek. In addition to literary references, Dr. Udall also referred to famous Doctors to prove his points. Taking a look back, the presentation was quite nice. In regards to its strength, the array of class activities coupled with real life examples and famous quotes really drilled home the point of defining