What have I learned about myself dealing with adversity and setbacks that can cause depression?

I think unexpected adversity and setbacks are things we all can relate to. But why is it that some people seem to be better at handling them and are able to find success? What makes the big difference in the individuals and the outcomes? These are just a few of the questions I have asked myself over and over again as I have struggled with the setback and adversity of being locked up. My personal goal in all of this is to not let the new unexpected challenges I face bring me to a place of depression or even worse hopelessness.

I have read many books that have dealt with topics similar to this question (such as Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning or Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom) and I noticed they have a similar thread that runs through them as they helped me. When a person understands their purpose in life and they have some type of meaningful goal that drives them they are able to remain much more success and happy no matter what stands in their way. After reading books likes these I began to ask myself if I knew my purpose and had a meaningful goal in my own life. At the beginning of my time incarcerated I realized how far away from those two things I was. That became a mission to me to find during this journey.

I learned along the way that life purpose can be a mix of small and big things. Purpose stems from my inner self but can lead to outer individuals. However, I see my purpose can not solely be for others. My purpose comes from what sparks healthly joy that builds towards my future. I find meaning in learning about my relationship to something bigger than me and providing what I have learned with others. I see myself as an educator in that way. Working towards my world in this way has sparked a love for my fellow man in ways I never expected. Now when I face a new adversity I ask myself, "How can I learn from this to grow and share what I have learned with others?" This has changed everything into opportunities to grow and become more as a person. I find hope in this type of thinking because with every new challenge I face I see the chance to learn to be a better version of me. With this hope my time being locked up has changed for the better. When a setbacks happen or the drag of waiting becomes heavy I can remind myself of my purpose and look for ways towards working to achieve the personal goals I have set. I try to pass on what I have learned about myself in order to help others. The books I have mentioned above would be great for anyone dealing with something similar. If you know someone looking for a place to start give them a read.