Building Resilience – Reflect on What You Have Overcome

Happiness is fleeting. It is not possible, and I would argue that it is not even desirable, to maintain a constant level of happiness. But that does not mean that life cannot be good, even through difficult times.

In order to live your best life, it is important to build resilience. Resilience is the ability to recover and grow in the face of adversity. We all face adversity at some points in our lives, and the more resilient we are, the quicker and better we are at recovering, growing, moving forward and enjoying life. The good news is, you can build resilience at any age.

In addition, resilience is like a muscle. The more you work on it, the stronger it gets.

Resilience Tip – Remember All You Have Overcome

Reminding yourself of all of the obstacles that you have overcome in your life will help you to maintain the mindset that you can overcome whatever obstacle, challenge, or stress you are now facing. Since what we are going through now is “unprecedented”, we do not have a similar experience to compare this to. However, you are the same person, and even though the situation might not be the same, YOU have the same strengths. It is helpful to remind yourself of your power within.

Remind yourself every day.

Here is a strengths-based activity for you to download, print, and begin journaling. Remember:

• What we think about, we bring about.
• When we put our thoughts on paper, they become even stronger.

resilience tip – remember all you have overcome

Resources for additional reading on Resilience:

• Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges by Steven Southwick, MD and Dennis Charney, MD
• Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Adam Grant and Sheryl Sandberg.