How does a person comeover adversity?

Adversity can be strongly referenced to by the novel 'the outsiders' where the main character Ponyboy is faced with many adversities yet still manages to overcome these. He does this by not letting other people around him affect the way he lives his life. He persists and never gives up no matter what the circumstances. And when the day seems as though there is no light left he will keep going. This truly demonstrates a person overcoming adversity