Resilience

I have been thinking a lot about resilience lately. Many people feel down and not themselves this time of year. How do you bounce back from the flu, an exceptionally sun-less January, or world events that polarize people? It is easy to get into a vicious cycle where you continue getting down on yourself, down on those around you, isolated and feeling depressed or anxious.

In times like this we get away from ourselves. We get out of touch with who we are, our values, our strengths, and the things we like about ourselves, our situations, our families, and our friends. All the good things are still there, still part of us, but somehow they become inaccessible to us. We know there are positive things out there but we just can’t seem to connect with them in a genuine or authentic way.

Linda Graham defines resilience as “the capacity for shifting gears, to move from automatic reactivity to more flexible responsiveness…the capacity to cope with the disappointments, difficulties, and disasters in life with flexibility, bouncing back from life’s setbacks with skill and adaptability, even grace”

It is possible to bounce back from even the most profound setbacks. The journey back to yourself may take some work but the rewards and gifts you pick up on the way mean that your resiliency has increased. Every time you come back from a difficult time there is an opportunity to become stronger, more flexible, and more resilient. In this life there will be no shortage of disappointments and setbacks but each and every one gives you an opportunity to affirm your strength, courage, and commitment to your values.