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Let’s build resilience!

Resilience is one of the hot topics these days. I have contemplated on this subject and here are some of my thoughts…

I see ‘resilience’ as a continuously developing skill which helps me to survive situations in life and by incorporating these new skills, attitudes, and perspectives acquired through each hardship, I can use them to get through the next one.

Resilience is about the journey, not the destination.

Why do I see resilience as so important? Because living our lives means facing changes and challenges every day.

There are periods when we have the luxury of having to deal with one challenge at a time and have some rest before the next one hits. However, frequently it is about keeping many balls in the air at the same time: facing multifaceted challenges at the same time and we still need to survive somehow.

Moreover, we should not aim only to survive as victors, but end up as conquerors: acquire new territories (of personal development) and use those as well for further (personal) growth.

I have encountered some quite challenging periods in my life. There were some I never thought I would ever survive, still, here I am 😄. These taught me a few important general lessons:

1)     Always, there are people in more challenging situations than we are. Focusing on how much easier our situation is for us than theirs is for them, helps us to cope with ours.

2)     We are capable of more than we would think. Once we are there we can the find the strength we need to overcome.

3)     Perseverance is crucial. There are times we have no idea when the challenge will come to an end. We need to keep on going and fighting until it does.

4)      Your challenges are yours. Tailored for you, so no one else can be fully sure what you need to do. Others can have ideas, stretch your thinking, be a support to hang onto but you are the one making your own choices. No one can do it for you.

The world seemingly is changing at an increasing speed. It requires more responses from us in a shorter time, giving less time for decision making. I have written a short series about guidelines I have discovered over the years. These helped me a lot to simplify the way I see life and evaluate my options, therefore quicken my responses.

Some of you may have already come to similar conclusions, or might have never ever thought to consider things from these perspectives – whatever the case is I hope you will read them and find them valuable. Don’t expect boxed-solutions: you need to find your own solutions to your own challenges.

My role is to

  • stretch your thinking,
  • pull you out of your comfort zone,
  • show you things from a different angle and
  • lift you up a few levels so you can see your situation from a higher perspective and in a bigger context.

You might agree or disagree with my observations: take it or leave it.

My hope is that by reading through, you will have a chance to take a more in-depth consideration of your options and might find out you have more of them than you first thought. Or you find your real questions: those deep inside of you.

So the answer you find would not be just a band aid but a real treatment of the root problem.

I would like to invite you on a journey to resilience – on a roller coaster.

We will visit the highs and lows of self-awareness and identity, dynamics of personal interactions and conflicts, love and forgiveness. Quite a wide territory, all leading up to how to change and

become an agent of change for the better for others around you.

Are you ready?

Buckle in, put your helmet on, we’re heading off!

Here is my hand.