Resilience, A Gift From Heaven

First, let’s define what resilience is. It is the ability to maintain purpose and integrity in challenging situations. Let’s face it humanity has had to navigate some scary situations as a whole and as individuals we also have challenges that test our character etc…

When fibromyalgia made working at a job I loved, teaching assistant at a community college, no longer possible and it was clear I needed to rethink my life, future path etc… it was not a fun journey. I could have become angry, bitter, lost my faith in the Creator of our amazing universe. I could have become a miserable, cranky etc… human being. I chose not to, once I got over the stages of grief for the life that no longer was, and have found my direction. It is not the adversity that is the issue, not really. Rather it is how we respond to that challenge that matters, that is the core issue. Not to say I still don’t have days where I might mourn the person I was before the fibromyalgia hit hard, but I don’t allow myself to stay in that place, in that mindset of what was.

What do we do when faced with a challenge? How do we build resilience? One thing that is important is having a purpose for your life, even if it’s something small to start with like meditate and pray for the earth and humanity for 10 minutes every afternoon. Start with something manageable and stick with it, even if you don’t feel like it. Faith, faith in your ability to find a clear path forward, in reaching clarity to find a solution, in a higher power that you connect that help in that process. Believing you can overcome obstacles, challenges is crucial. It is said that no man is an island and I agree. It is important to have a community you can share your joys, ups and downs with, a tribe, even if it is a virtual community that you can be encouraged, supported emotionally. It can make a big difference to have that community, that tribe. Understand that the only certainty we have is that nothing remains forever the same, life is a journey with curves and has roller coaster moments, don’t be angry at those changes that come throughout life, walk through them, standing firm in your life’s purpose, your gifts, talents, faith.

Optimism and nurturing yourself matters, as much as caring for those you love. FInd things to be grateful for even in the midst of a storm, and nurture yourself emotionally, physically, eat right, don’t be consumed by the challenge that you neglect to be kind to yourself. It is important that one learns problem solving skills and this is why I personally like to play certain games, finding hidden object, things that require me to think a little, so maybe finding activities that would help develop problem solving skills and mental clarity would be helpful in the long run in facing and navigating challenges. One thing you don’t want to be is scattered and chaotic all the time in your thinking etc…, so goal setting, something I discussed in previous posts and sticking to those goals as much as possible will help in building resilience.

Stand strong and do not let the storms consume you or knock you out of life’s journey. Build that resilience and navigate those challenges, those storms and come out victorious.