Much is written about the importance of resilience and inner strength. Indeed, it can almost feel over-rated. Worse still, in some workplaces the notion feels weaponised. You can do better if you become more resilient. If only it were that simple. Essentially, there are things that we can do to build resilience. Working on that inner strength is always good. However, there is, I believe, a limit to how much our resilience can help us overcome and move to something better. Where, though, does the balance lie? And, like so much in life, it got me wondering. Is resilience over-rated, or are you really strong enough?
Firstly, what do we mean by resilience? Worryingly, it is often promoted as having an ability to cope with whatever comes your way. The suggestion is that those who are resilient just get on with everything. No burden is too great. No task is too much.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Realistically, resilience is about two things. First is the ability to stretch. It’s about being flexible with the ebb and flow of life. It’s also about being adaptable. Life is far from a constant. How ready, then, are you to deal with a changing world?
Resilience is also about recovery. How quickly do you bounce back? Life can knock us all. It’s OK to fall. You are, after all, only human. It’s what happens next that matters. Are you someone who regroups, recovers, and resumes the journey? Those are signs of resilience. It can take time, though. Resilience is about being on that path back.
Secondly, why am I thinking about this now? I was talking with someone recently, and they were commenting on the longer days, the lighter evenings. They stated that everything feels so much easier when there’s more daylight. And, I sort of agreed.
It did, though, get me thinking about the factors that lead to success. What you want has to drive any success. The gains have to be for you and those around you. You know that success can be far more elusive when you’re doing something purely for someone else. Crucially, you have to have a stake in that success to really want it.
Obviously, life feels easier if you have the right people around you. Everything seems to go so much better when you have the right resources. Critically, it all appears so much more achievable when everything around you is going well.
Yet, the reality is that it all has to come from within. You have to want it. You have to be prepared to work for it. Undoubtedly, you have to be ready for the ebb and flow of life. How ready are you really to bounce back when events unfold differently from what you want?
Unsurprisingly, one thing is very clear. Happy people tend to be more resilient, and resilient people tend to be happier. It does, therefore, make sense to build that resilience. After all, if resilience gives us greater flexibility, better recovery, and an increased happiness, it kind of feels like a no-brainer.
If you know what to do next, do it now. If you’re not sure, book a free initial consultation here, and then take the next step. You know that you can do it, and you know that it makes sense, don’t you?
