Be … Resilient

How does one not only survive, but thrive and boost resiliency? 

How do we carry ourselves during life’s unanticipated events?

“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” 

~ Paulo Coelho.

Hope and resiliency travel together on life’s journey. Our childhood journeys were filled with days spent falling and rising in laughter and joy.  As we journey through life, somewhere along the way we may not always rise from falls with such grace and enthusiasm.  Our journeys will not always be easy, but there are a few small mindsets that we can adopt to keep us grounded in strength and authenticity along the way.:

1. Be Honest: I invite you to be honest about your dreams, goals, and how you are spending the time you have been given on this earth.
2. Take Stock: Take the time to audit where you are spending your time. Your time is a valuable commodity; ensure you align with where you want to be. Your life will not become what you have not actively prioritized.
3. Build Bench Strength: I invite you to build physical and mental muscles this January. When was the last time you challenged your own thinking or the thoughts of those around you?
4. True Grit: A tall endurance order is certainly needed mid pandemic. 

How do you face forward? Jamelle Sanders and Thrive Global capture this state of perseverance well. “Perseverance is the ability to not be deterred by distractions, shaken by storms, dismantled by disruptions, or restricted by resistance. Perseverance is the ability to overcome everything that is opposing greatness in your life.” (Jamelle Sanders International, 16 Oct 2021). There will be obstacles and challenges in our lives that we know for sure. How we rise to greet each day is essential.

Research shows that hope and resiliency play a vital role in our outlook and determination when facing unexpected challenges or life circumstances. When we adopt a hopeful perspective, we can see challenges as they present themselves. Still, we can remain optimistic despite the storm. Hope invites us to envision a Plan B or another means or way of being. Hope allows us to pivot in real-time to seek an alternate path or area of focus to achieve our goals. Hope allows us to sustain life satisfaction and buffers the impact of adverse or stressful life events. You may recognize these traits in some friends, family, or coworkers. These hopeful beings tend to stay physically fit, mentally on point, happy within their workplaces, and live healthy lifestyles. Even with life-threatening health conditions, optimistic mindsets lead to better mental and physical outcomes.

Resiliency may be best described as our ability to bounce back. Envision a falling cat who adjusts and lands upright despite the chaos that may arise. Adopting an optimistic outlook requires dedication to a few key mindsets such as positive emotions, curiosity, and the ability to embrace and not run from new experiences. These key behaviors lead to calmer, constructive versus destructive attitudes. High resiliency helps us dig deep, breathe, and remain grounded when faced with uncertain outcomes. We have learned a lot from studying children and adults that have experienced and coped with life’s adverse events. Our ability to positively frame and cope with adverse events allows resilient folks to perpetually adapt to significant life changes. It is through this perpetual ability to re-frame, re-focus, re-navigate, and re-design their dreams and goals that they move through challenges and emerge stronger, wiser, and even more potent than before. Research reminds us that raising resiliency will boost our health, longevity, satisfaction, and happiness. 

Resiliency and hope work as partners on our life journey to boost our outlook in the face of adversity. When you find yourself in shifting tides, reflect on where you have been, how far you have come, and where you are moving gracefully (or not so gracefully) next? As long as you take that next hopeful step.

Thrive Global (2021). Why You Need Resilience: The Power of Perseverance in Managing Your Goals.  https://thriveglobal.com/stories/whyresilience/

Action For Happiness: Coping Calendar. https://www.actionforhappiness.org/media/863032/coping_calendar.jpg

Mindtools: Resiliency Quiz. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/resilience-quiz.htm

Newman, Five Science Backed Strategies to Build Resiliency. Berkeley Greater Good Science.https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_science_backed_strategies_to_build_resilience

https://health.sunnybrook.ca/covid-19-coronavirus/finding-hope/

Duggal D, Sacks-Zimmerman A, Liberta T. The Impact of Hope and Resilience on Multiple Factors in Neurosurgical Patients. Cureus. 2016;8(10):e849. Published 2016 Oct 26. doi:10.7759/cureus.849. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5120968/

Coelho, P. (2014). The Alchemist. Harper One: San Francisco, USA.