Resilience is defined as the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, loss or significant stress, and the ability to bounce back from it and learn from it.
It is the process that involves mental, emotional and behavioural flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands. The result often leads to insightful personal growth.
What does resilience mean to you and what do you do to practice resiliency?
In my opinion, resilient people are quick to look for ways to resolve or at least improve the situation. They do not expend their energy in reciting why the problem is difficult or unfair. They channel that time, mental, and emotional energy to find solutions. In addition to this, I think resiliency is common characters of those who also have Grit, individuals who demonstrate passion and perseverance toward a goal despite being confronted by significant obstacles and distractions. Those who possess grit can self-regulate and postpone their need for positive reinforcement while working diligently on a task. This doesn’t diminish the value of their fortitude, but rather underscores that grit perhaps is more about attitude than an end game. More specifically, your ability to manage fear of failure is imperative and a predicator of success. The supremely gritty are not afraid to tank, but rather embrace it as part of a process. They understand that there are valuable lessons in defeat and that the vulnerability of perseverance is requisite for high achievement.
In life, hard times and good times come and go, people suffer and recover. A person with resilience is able to recover from setbacks or illness. They may recover quickly, and bounce back, or they may take a long time to recover yet resume next to full capacity or rise up better than before. This is not to say that a person has a duty to remain in the lead, or stay healthy and be unaffected by change or influence. Life throws everyone challenges. We suffer as others do, but may have resilient qualities such as tenacity, patience, endurance, forgiveness, tolerance & perhaps ability to protect others.
From my experiences, I’m not sure what complete recovery looks like in my situation, and I guess it really depends on the circumstances. For me, it’s an ongoing journey—constant pain, changes in my body, and new challenges, especially as I get older. I only have one foot that’s been my constant reminder. While I may not always feel resilient, I know every day I must find the strength to care for my children and honor my body, even when it’s hard. Who knows how long it will be before my feet need to rest permanently? But that’s okay. There won’t be a recovery mode for me, and I’ll always face obstacles, but my mindset grows stronger each day. I want my boys to see that no matter what, Mommy is strong, and she can do whatever anyone else can—even if it’s with a little extra determination. My experiences have definitely taught me to be more confident and accept my scars in life.
Resilient people in society have learned the hard way and have a deeper understanding, more caring, empathetic… or may even seem stronger for others.
Do not assume that a resilient person is strong enough to abandon and is somehow better than others. and can survive Adapt or die—it’s the same as resilience. It’s about finding a way to push through, no matter what’s in front of you. Whether you’re on the court, in business, or just dealing with life, it’s simple: you either adjust, or you get left behind.
In basketball, resilience is what separates the good from the great. You miss a shot? Shake it off, get back on offense, and find a way to score. Someone’s lighting you up? Switch up your defense, play to your strengths, and make the adjustment. Every play is a problem to solve, and the ones who can adapt are the ones who walk away with the win. Business is the same game. Markets shift, competition shows up, deals fall apart—it’s just part of it. You can’t control everything, but you can control how you respond. Pivot, adjust, and keep it moving. That’s how you stay in the game and end up on top.
Resiliency for me is being able to bounce back from difficult situations. And overcoming hardships. Not holding onto negative emotions from an experience for too long and being able to move forward knowing that every difficult situation in life has something to teach you and we can always grow from it. And always looking for that lesson when a problem arises. “What can I learn from this?” Or “how can I respond to this problem better” I think it’s definitely a skill to be learned and don’t think I really cultivated it in my life until my late 20s. Definitely something I want to teach my kids.
