Hardship during childhood brings up champions

Not every person is blessed with a good childhood or a great family. Some people have a really rough start in life. That is true everywhere in the world, from the most civilized countries to the least. However, the universe has a way of giving when it takes, so the people who had a rough start usually have some very rare qualities later on. You might even be one of those people.

Ambition

Ambition is very common in people who started small and came from a difficult background. You can usually just ask someone who is very determined to make it big if he had a rough childhood, and most times the answer is a big "YES".

This ambition is much more prevalent in people who struggled than in people who had a good start and a good family.

While people with a good start get the advantages of being loved, guided, and protected in their childhood, this usually gives birth to low ambition to do something too big. They will usually settle for a normal job, start a family and just live their lives normally.

On the other hand, people who started from a bad place want to prove to the world and to themselves that they are worth something, that they are valuable, and that they can conquer this world, in their own way.

This has both good and bad things attached. Those ambitious people will often be more focused on their careers or on their businesses than on family and personal lives.

Intelligence

Intelligence comes as a byproduct of a rough start. To survive during those troubled times, one has to "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome" as the famous Bear Grylls says.

All of that improvising and thinking on your feet teaches one of the most important lessons in life - you are not owed anything, from anyone, anywhere.

This intelligence is called in the common tongue "street smarts" or in business terms "emotional intelligence" or "critical thinking". People with those skills well brewed usually make for very good CEOs or Team Leaders - if they learn how to play well with others, which is the hardest skill to master for those who grew up alone and in a bad environment.

You must find your own way using your own feet, hands, eyes, and brain. You must not find excuses or blame someone else for your life. It is what it is. You must accept it or fall into all types of other bad stuff.

Independence

This is another "attitude" of people who had it bad; they learn how to carry their own weight in the world, fight their battles and pat themselves on the shoulder whenever needed.

They rarely ask for help, if ever. And when they do they repay people twice as much.

Financial independence is a must that they will get to, no matter what. They detest being bossed around and manipulated to other people's whims. If that happens they usually find a way out of that situation.

Resilience

It comes as no surprise that resilience is a byproduct of a rough childhood. As some people say, good times bring leisure, and bad times build character and resilience.

People with a rough start know what resilience is, better than anyone else. It's one thing to be resilient in adulthood, and a completely different thing when it's experienced in childhood - and for long periods of time.

The scar tissue in the case of people who had a bad childhood is very thick. It covers most of their mind and soul, as they needed to be strong to survive. When they fall down in adulthood, it's only for a short period of time, as they pick themselves up faster than anyone else.

When bad things happen in life, they realize that is just how this world is. They know this very well from the beginning of their lives, when things were clearly not pink, like the lives of Beverly Hills "princesses".

Financial Balance

If finances were also a problem during childhood, this has a very positive effect on how a person handles money and resources in general. They learn how important it is to have enough money to eat and a stable place to sleep.

That is why people who had it rough will not throw around money. They will save them, invest in them, and make contingency plans for when things are not so good, so as to make sure they have enough when most needed.

Usually, people who had a rough financial start learn how to invest their money to increase their income, or at least save a part of them to have when needed.

They also know what is worth the money and what is not worth it. They will choose a healthy and nutritious meal over caviar and expensive vodka or champagne.

They realize that you can let loose once in a while and actually get that caviar if you are in a really good spot so that you can celebrate. But it isn't worth it to spend lots of money on things that don't actually have any superior value over something that is much cheaper and does the same thing.

Constant improvement

Improvement is ingrained in their DNA. This is because they know that if they don't improve, bad times will come. To conquer any situation, you need to be prepared to do it. And this preparation needs to be constant.

People who experienced a rough start will study hard and will get things faster than most others. This happens due to their grown intelligence and adaptability from when they were young. They know that they must be above others in skill to make it big and that they need to work much more than anyone else.

"How can I make things better" is their number one question, as they know they can grow and improve even further.

When things get in the wrong direction and they stop improving and growing, they usually get hit by depression and anxiety. Their subcontinent being is telling them to get up and keep working on themselves and keep improving, or the bad times are coming back.

The bad side: Addiction

Of course, there is also a bad side to all the good things I mentioned before. People with a rough childhood need to be really aware of and on their guard, always against their biggest enemy: addiction.

This is their number 1 enemy. Someone who had a rough start in life is much more inclined to abuse substances or other activities that bring them pleasure.

It's also much easier for them to fall a victim to alcohol, drugs, sex addiction, and other forms of addiction. Once in, they will get lost and it is very hard for them to get back to the surface, even with someone's help.

I've seen this so many times before, even in my own family. People who become addicted to alcohol (which is the most common form of addiction). They simply can't help it to drink, and once they do, they can't stop.

Today there is also another danger that is more prevalent for young people: porn addiction. This, along with depression, will become the greatest disease of the 21st century.

Conclusion

People with rough childhoods can become some of the greatest personalities in our world if they learn how to conquer their demons and maintain balance in their minds and body.

You can find all kinds of great personalities that had it rough when they were young, and they became great artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs when they became adults.

Take the example of Beethoven, who was constantly beaten by his erratic drunk father, and had one of the worst childhood. He managed to put the anger and sadness he felt in his young years into great masterpieces. Now he is considered one of humanity's geniuses.

If you are also in the same category, you can achieve the same as them. Just keep a balanced mind and be aware of your weaknesses. Avoid addiction and self-loathing at all costs, and you will achieve great things.

Good luck and good health!