Leadership Series – 4

Resiliency in the Face of Uncertainty

Even with tremendous effort, it would be extremely difficult, almost impossible to navigate life without being bombarded by distressing news multiple times per day. Between COVID-19, the current racial equity unrest, the explosion in Beirut, wildfires, job losses and poor economic outlooks, there is no shortage of disturbing news. So how does one remain hopeful and mentally balanced with such an abundance of turmoil? One word: RESILIENCY.

Resiliency is the capacity to recover from, bounce back, or thrive in the face of difficulty, distress, or ongoing uncertainty. Resiliency is, therefore, psychological toughness. If there is ever a time, we all need Resiliency, it is now.

Cultivating Resiliency can take many forms. For some people, it’s through rigorous daily mental training and conditioning. For others, it’s doggedly clutching to an optimistic view, like: ‘while there’s life, there’s hope’; and still, for others, it is an unwavering connectedness to their faith.

So how does one get started? Here are a few tips and tricks we can each apply to cultivate or strengthen our own Resiliency:

1.   Mental conditioning and programming:

taking a few minutes every day to program our minds with positivity. If we do not intentionally program our minds with positivity then social media, the 6:00 o’clock news or a host of other negative influences could program fear and hopelessness into our psyches.

2.  Delving into our faith:

For those who subscribe to a belief system, strengthening our faith daily is an excellent way to recharge and refuel. Alternately, meditation and mindfulness training are superb ways to keep positively grounded.

3.   Minding the company we keep:

Surrounding ourselves with positive, hopeful, and resilient people helps reinforce positive core beliefs and helps us see alternate possibilities.

4.   Practicing self-care:

taking time to nurture our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing supports RESILIENCY. Exercising daily, getting adequate rest and paying attention to the foods we eat is something many struggle with, but is essential.

Our world needs us to be resilient and together we can.