I’d like you to view yourself as your own resilient role model.
We often think that others are more resilient than we are. We look at them in awe and think “How do they keep going?”, “I could never do that”.
I would like to challenge those thoughts.
If you are a parent who found hidden depths of energy during period of exhaustion (night-time feeding, teething, tantrums, illness, unexpected trips to A&E) – you are resilient.
If you are a carer who yearns for a break, but who keeps going nevertheless, you are resilient.
If you have had to fight for the basic rights of someone you love (education, special needs assistance, psychological assessment, home care, palliative care, access to services, etc), you are resilient.
If you are in a job you hate but you keep turning up for work anyway because you have people who depend on you, you are resilient.
If you are trying to build or sustain a business against all the odds (heavy taxation system, narrowing markets, crowded internet noise, competitors), but you are always trying to think of ways through, you are resilient.
If you just don’t have any energy, but you get up every day and get dressed, you are resilient.
Resilience is not the absence of adversity. It’s the ability to keep going, push against obstacles, bounce back, face challenges, learn and grow from mistakes, maintain an open mind, fight to keep a positive mindset and trying your best to have a hopeful outlook. Resilience is not easy. Some buckle under the weight. But if you are still going, doing any of the above and probably more, you are already resilient.
One final instruction. Spread your arms out wide. Now wrap them around your body to give yourself a hug. And repeat out loud “I AM resilient. I am stronger than I think.”
Until next week, take care,
Lisa.
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