Building Resilience: Action Steps

March teaches us about resilience, doesn’t it? Just when you think it’s going to be 70 degrees and sunny, it’s 40 degrees and dreary or rainy. For some of us here in northwest PA, we could even get some of that dreaded white stuff!

“I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” -Maya Angelou

I want to review the resilient traits that we’re focusing on this March at Total Coverage.

Those traits are acceptance, purpose, and flexibility. To build resilience, develop these skills!

Acceptance

What is acceptance?

Acceptance is the secret password to whisper at the door of adversity.

Accepting a situation doesn’t mean that you are giving up!

Accepting a situation means you’re trusting your ability to move through it!

So when adversity is at your door, practice mindfulness. Be aware. Be in the now. Acknowledge the situation and the way you feel about the situation. Exist in your current reality. Know you’ll be okay.

And how do you know you’ll be okay?

Action Step

Awareness is, first and foremost, in anything we do, in any skill we try to develop, the first step. We need to be aware of where we are right now before we can move through it. So practice your mindfulness. Check in with yourself. Accept your situation, and trust that you have the ability to get through it.

Purpose

What is purpose?

Purpose is the ability to adapt positively, learn, and grow from our experiences, and to keep going toward our goals. Purpose keeps us moving forward toward those goals.

Research indicates that people who live with purpose actually live longer! They make better lifestyle choices, which leads to better health.

So check in on those New Year’s Resolutions. Where are you with your goals? How are you living your intent? If you’re not where you want to be, don’t give up! Look back and reevaluate. Adjust your plan. And keep moving forward!

Action Step

What’s your purpose? Let’s take a moment to write one!

My purpose is “Living, laughing, contributing, with assertive humility.”

When finding your purpose, ask yourself

• What do you love?

• What are you good at?

• What does the world need?

Now that you know your purpose, that purpose will help you to create a stronger foundation so that when you are walking through the door of adversity, you will feel acceptance. You will know that you will be okay, you’ll trust your ability to get through the situation with purpose.

Flexibility

What is flexibility?

Flexibility is a willingness to learn new methods, procedures, and techniques. It’s keeping an open mind positive approach to change.

Action Step

Take a self-assessment. Ask yourself:

• where in my life do I exercise high flexibility?

• Where in my life do I show low flexibility?

• Do I go with the flow, or am I stuck in the mud?

• Am I straight and narrow, or do I try something new and different?

Strengthen your acceptance, your purpose, and your flexibility.

Know that you will be changed by what happens to you. Acknowledge it, feel it.

But never be reduced by it.