Resilience Is Your SuperPower

We came from ancestors who survived Tyrannosaurus Rex viewing people as their entree and those who walked before us who faced earth changes and near annihilation . Our DNA carries Survivor-Resilience. Repeatedly, I reflect on past cultures and what we have forgotten. Thriving in times of unexpected chaos can awaken within each of us solutions of magnitude . We can choose to be the Wayshowers of Light or the Doomsday Criers of Despair. How we can muster and gather our inner strength into an impervious Ball of New Vision is exactly what resilience offers us each an opportunity to embrace!

Resilience is the ability to adapt to challenging events and experiences of life situations even when knocked down a few notches and come back just as strong or even stronger than before. In addition, it is the adaptation to bounce back when things do not go as we had preconceived. Looking at my own life once I claimed Resilience as one of my SuperPowers, I looked at difficult circumstances as challenges to overcome, not as anything that was able to paralyze me into a frozen state of fear. My ownership of resilience became wrapped in a visionary commitment of my intentions in those causes important to me, in nurturing relationships/friendships I desire to maintain, and in acknowledging/adhering to my personal core values.

It is a fact that part of life is going to include making mistakes, being unsuccessful in certain aspects we hope to achieve, and even seeing certain situations and relationships come to a brutal end. Instead of allowing these times to devastate us to the point we give up and try to shelter ourselves from taking more risks, we can be determined to make Resilience one of our Superpowers by seeking and making concrete efforts to go after our hopes and dreams. Wrapping our failures and mistakes around our shoulders as learned opportunities , we really can bounce back stronger than the Energizer Rabbit , and move forward to things we never even imagined we could successfully see manifesting into fruition!

Here are some key ways to creating Resilience:

*Self care by getting effective sleep nightly, incorporating exercise you enjoy daily (gym, walking, swimming, tai chi, etc.), and using relaxation tools such as breath work and mindful and walking meditations.

*Listen consistently to the thoughts you have. When negative ones show up, replace them with positive ones. Ask the question: Is that really true? Who told me that???

*Respond with balanced calmness as opposed to reacting with anxious panic when life throws us a monkey wrench we did not see coming. I am a big fan of sticky notes that I put all over the place reminding me of choices I can make that are helpful not hurtful to my mind, body, and spirit.

*Find and nurture strong connections with others. When we find those we have are no longer working for our Highest and Best good walk away with kindness and compassion. Authentic relationships will feed our resilience and confidence in ourselves that we then can be a walking example for others to follow. When we have a network of trustworthy and supportive people we are never alone, and can call on them for support and help.

*Recognize and acknowledge our struggles and challenges are valid. We do not want to deny their stress on our wellbeing .

*Inventory and claim the strengths you already have. This is not arrogant. It will help us to call on our own abilities when the unexpected occurs.

*Give yourself permission to take a break from being so serious and a workaholic (even in play). Know what gives you pleasure and incorporate it into your calendar!

Resilience IS a superpower! Use it to your advantage and you might even discover you had magical wings attached to your back all along that will help you soar through challenges and life changes.