Resilience Reimagined
What if we all have a superpower within us?
In the journey of life, we encounter a myriad of challenges (I know I have), from the everyday stresses to unexpected adversities that shake us to our core. How we respond to these challenges defines not only our character but also our ability to thrive amidst uncertainty. This is where resilience comes into play – the cornerstone of our capacity to not only endure but to grow stronger through life’s trials and tribulations.
For me, resilience isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a guiding principle deeply ingrained in the way I approach life. It’s the foundation for everything AWARE Coaching + Wellness offers, as I believe it is the cornerstone for personal growth, transformation, and holistic well-being. You might be thinking resilience is all about the bounce back. While yes, that it is a big piece of it, I want to offer a new definition for you, that I have adopted from HeartMath. We define resilience as the ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to challenges, stress, adversity, or trauma. It’s not about avoiding difficulties but about facing them head-on with courage, flexibility, and a growth mindset. So yes, it’s about the ability to bounce back, but it’s also about adding the intentional component that is often missing in resilience work…PREPARE FOR…because as I said, in the journey of life, we encounter a myriad of challenges, so knowing this, let’s work together to uncover the superpower that exists in each and every one of us.
Preparing for Challenges
Resilience begins with preparation. Just as a sturdy ship is built to withstand storms at sea, we have to equip ourselves with the tools and strategies necessary to navigate life’s inevitable rough waters. We are going to face adversity and stress. Period. That’s part of the beauty of life, I mean, I’m not saying it doesn’t suck, but I do believe we don’t have to get stuck there. If we build our toolkit, by cultivating healthy habits and self-care practices, nurturing supportive relationships, and developing strong coping mechanisms long before adversity strikes, we can truly use our resilience muscle to overcome any storm that we encounter. My commitment to you is sharing these practices, and empowering individuals, teams, and organizations to embody this (not just on paper, but in our daily words and actions) so together we can approach challenges with greater confidence and resilience.
Recovering from Adversity
No matter how well-prepared we are, setbacks and hardships are an inevitable part of life. Resilience isn’t about avoiding failure or pain but when we commit to preparation, we are able to bounce back stronger in the face of adversity. I have lived in the bounce back for the last 20 (ok, maybe 40) years of my life. Something happens in my life, I feel all the feels, reflect on it and move forward. Yes, this is a critical piece, but the part I missed, was doing this with empathy, compassion, and creating space for true healing. I was the “well, that happened, moving on” or “that sucks, but I guess everything happens for a reason” or even worse, I would move into blame, shame, and add a little more armor around my heart (shout out to all of my Brené fans out there), because that was way safer. I knew hard stuff is going to happen, but I was unintentionally living in a shove it all down, work more, work harder, avoid it or do just about anything so I don’t have to feel it.
I’m done with that, because let’s be real, that approach did NOT work. I’m not going to sugar coat this my friends, because it isn’t easy, but trust me when I say, it is 100% worth it! My new approach to hard things is embodying the above definition of resilience, whether it’s navigating grief, overcoming trauma, or managing stress, building personal resilience is my new superpower. Preparation first and foremost, so when we do need to recover from the hard things we can access those tools, step into the discomfort, and utilized a holistic approach to healing, addressing the interconnected facets of well-being– mind, body, and spirit.
Adapting to Change
The only constant in life is change, and resilience enables us to embrace change with openness and adaptability. Whether it’s a career transition, a relationship change, or a global crisis, our ability to adapt determines our capacity to thrive in an ever-evolving world. For those of you that don’t know, 2023 was my year of change…I mean, everything changed, and when I say everything, I mean everything…
It was also a year of healing, self-discovery, and learning that put me on a path to a fulfilling life beyond my wildest dreams. I cannot wait to share all that I have discovered, as I believe that through coaching, mindfulness practices, and resilience-building exercises, I can help individuals cultivate a mindset of growth and flexibility. By reframing challenges as opportunities for learning and growth, individuals can harness the power of resilience to not only survive change but to thrive in the face of it.
Embracing Resilience
So let’s talk about redefining and embracing resilience. I believe resilience isn’t just a skill to be mastered but a journey to be embraced. I believe that resilience is not a trait reserved for the few but a capacity inherent in all individuals, waiting to be nurtured and cultivated.
Over the last year, I developed an integrated approach to building personal resilience, not only to use for myself, but also to share with you. Through AWARE, I am committed to empowering individuals to harness their innate resilience, face life’s challenges with courage and grace, and emerge stronger, wiser, and more resilient than ever before.
I hope you will join us on the journey of resilience, where challenges become opportunities, setbacks become stepping stones, and adversity becomes fuel for growth. However you chose to join us on this adventure, AWARE Coaching + Wellness will be by your side, offering you the support, guidance, and resources you need to thrive in every season of life.
