By Linda Knudsen

Along with the struggling economy came our family’s own battle. We lost our home, our rental properties, two of our vehicles, and were left carrying heavy burdens from failed businesses—ours and others we had invested in deeply. I truly believe that if we hadn’t already learned that setbacks are part of the process of achieving great things, we could have easily fallen into major depression and anxiety.

But we had peace—even in our affliction. I held tightly to the knowledge that this season was temporary. By law, we would eventually experience its opposite. As Napoleon Hill so powerfully said, “Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.”

When I first learned about the Law of Polarity, I felt impressed to study it deeply—to really absorb it into my soul. I didn’t know then how essential it would become. But when hard times hit, it was this law that came to my rescue. It had become second nature to me. No matter how painful the challenge, I knew its opposite blessing was on the way—and it would not only match the struggle, it would surpass it.

From the outside looking in, others might’ve seen nothing but loss. But we held onto hope because we understood this truth: when we’re in pursuit of our biggest goals, it’s not uncommon to hit major stumbling blocks. You’ve probably heard the saying, “Stumbling blocks or stepping stones—it’s your choice.” We chose to see ours as stepping stones.

One of our biggest setbacks came when my husband felt he had no choice but to surrender our self-employed lifestyle and get a “job.” After years of being his own boss, this felt like defeat. But the truth was, we had six children to feed, and we needed a roof over our heads. We thought it would just be a short-term fix… and yet, that very job planted the seed of our greater benefit.

The work itself was monotonous—an assembly line with the same tasks every day. My husband began to think, “This job would be so much better if I could at least listen to music or an audiobook.” Since they already wore earplugs to protect against the loud machinery, all he had to do was figure out how to get sound into them.

After some trial and error, and some parts ordered from China, he had a solution—and an idea. We turned our tiny 1100 sq. foot rental into a makeshift headquarters: bedroom, office, and workshop all in one. It was cramped—we had to scoot past desks and workstations just to get to the bathroom—but it was fun. It was fun because we knew it was temporary. And we knew, according to the law, that the struggle was simply the forerunner of reward.

From that seed of innovation, a new company was born. We eventually moved to a bigger home, closer to his work. That “temporary” job gave us health benefits—something we hadn’t had in years. His employment and the business idea gave us a renewed sense of purpose, vision, and hope at a time when fear could have easily taken over. We came to value the hard times for the strength and lessons they gave us.

We learned that trials don’t go away. But we also learned that we don’t have to wait until they’re over to find joy in the journey.

We learned that it’s during the struggle that we grow the most. Without those difficult moments, we might grow complacent, miss our potential, and forget to use our gifts. Life would become just as monotonous as that assembly line. But the challenge gave meaning to the triumph—and music to the soul.

As Thomas Paine declared:
“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”

So when you hit your own stumbling blocks, remember: they may not just pass—they may become the very thing that propels you to your next success.

With this mindset, the hidden blessings will eventually reveal themselves. And even in moments of depression, doubt, or fear—moments that are part of being human—you can take heart in knowing the blessings are still coming.

Just as surely as morning follows night...
As good overcomes evil...
As love conquers hate...

In opposition to sorrow—JOY.
In opposition to doubt—UNDERSTANDING.
In opposition to anxiety—PEACE.

That is the Law of Polarity.

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