How to Fight Your Inner Satanic Forces and See the Positives in Hardship

Personal development happens when you’re faced with hardship and adversity. That’s true whether you’re embarking on an epic outdoor pursuit alone or waiting out a global pandemic. It forces you to battle your inner demons. To understand what it’s like to cope with that at an extreme level, we spoke to Captain Liz Clark, a surfer, sailor, and environmentalist. In 2006, she set sail from California, venturing south to Central America and into the Pacific aboard her 40-foot sailboat, Swell. Since then, she has surpassed over 20,000 nautical miles, more than half of which she completed solo. — as told to Wesley Grover

This feature was published as part of a bigger story, Inside the Minds of the World’s Greatest Solo AdventurersTo read the other features, see:

How to Overcome Isolation and Self-Doubt, According to Polar Explorer Felicity AstonHow to Use Meditation to Cope With Loneliness and Negative Self-Talk, According to Solo Explorer Colin O’BradyHow to Harness Your Mental Strength in Adversity, According to Alpinist David Lama

How to Battle Your Inner Demons and See the Positives in Hardship, According to Captain Liz Clark

My biggest voyaging fear is the power and unpredictability of the ocean, which I can’t say I’ve overcome. I’ve learned to manage with thorough preparation and knowledge of my boat, doing my best to have reliable weather information, and, over time, developing my own kind of spirituality or relationship with the unknown that helps me have faith that everything will work out (especially if I’m living in my truth and listening to my gut).

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I’ve faced my share of adversities out there—scary storms, lightning, mechanical failures, a mysterious leak in the boat that took 3 haul-outs and a year and a half to fix, and being a minority and a woman in foreign places. I’ve learned that adversities are like springboards for personal evolution if you’re able to search for the positive in the situation, practice your virtues, and let go of trying to