When The Going Gets Tough . . .

When the going gets tough, how do you respond?

Do you collapse into a puddle of tears?  Do you give up?  Do you expect someone else to help you pick up the pieces?

Or do you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over?

Are you resilient enough to bounce back quickly?

Not sure?

Resilient people share some common qualities ~ traits which you can cultivate in yourself to master any crisis:

1.  People who are resilient tend to be upbeat.  They expect difficulties to be temporary, and are confident in their ability to overcome them.  Feelings of loss, anger and discouragement don’t last long.

2.  Resilient folks adapt quickly to new developments.  They tend to be curious and ask questions.  They reframe situations with a positive spin.  e.g., Barn’s burnt down . . . now I can see the moon.

3.  Folks who bounce back easily from setbacks tend to see the humor in situations and are quick to laugh at themselves.  They are self confident and don’t worry much about momentary embarrassments (if they get embarrassed at all).

4.  They see silver linings in dark clouds  and benefits in (almost) any situation.  They realize that “bad” experiences often lead to valuable lessons.

5.  They allow their expectations to have fluidity.  They focus on enjoying the journey through life without having a set destination in mind.  They tend to go with the flow, switching course as necessary.

6.  They can tolerate high levels of ambiguity and uncertainty.  They let life unfold, step by step, curious to see what waits around the bend, realizing that when everything’s uncertain . . . all things are possible.

Some people are “naturally” more resilient but our level of resilience can be cultivated.

Last question:  Is increased resilience something you wish to cultivate?

If so, the first step is to observe the “spin” you put on situations.  When you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, reframe them in a more positive way:  “If I change X, I’ll get a better outcome,” rather than “I never do anything right.”

Related posts:  Hang Ten:  Riding the Waves of Dismay * The Awakening * But I Might Die Tonight * Year of the Cat * A Writer’s Life For Me * Our Field of Dreams * Our Internal Compass * Keep Writing *  A Somewhat Disorderly Life (The Water Witch’s Daughter)