Life can sneak up on you.
Things can happen when you’re not at all expecting them at all – both good and bad. That’s part of the magic and the beauty of this thing called life. It can also be back-breaking and crushing when health issues pop up out of nowhere.
Boom!
One of these “boom” moments happened last week with one of our team members.
Courtney, our Director of Operations, has worked with me now for almost 9 years. We work really well together, and having gone through a multitude of ups and downs in our recruiting and coaching businesses over the past nearly decade, Courtney knows me really well. I depend heavily on her wisdom and support in the various types of work that we do.
Last week, while Courtney was on a phone call at work, she felt a little light headed and dizzy. She shrugged it off, thinking it was because she hadn’t slept well the night before. The next day the faintness happened again, but this time was much worse. Courtney, alone at home with her 3-year-old child, called 911. She was rushed to the hospital, with dangerously low blood pressure. In the emergency room, the doctors found an internal hemorrhage and performed emergency surgery right away. This very likely saved her life.
Courtney will recover fully, and is already back to work. I know Courtney as a strong, brave lady and very much aligned with her physical health. She is also extremely resilient. I’m sharing this story with you because it reminded me of the power of resilience in our lives. It also reminds me how fragile life can be and that we can’t predict the future. We can make the most with what we’ve got and take care of the bodies we’ve been entrusted with.
We should also see each day as the precious gift that it is.
On the subject of resilience, I’ve made this the primary topic of my Ph.D. dissertation. There has been a lot of academic research conducted on what helps build resilience in people. My personal goal is to be super-resilient.
Here are 10 things that you can do to build up your resilience, and prepare you to bounce back from the inevitable “boom” things that will happen in your life.
- Recognize that being resilient is a choice. Choose it!
- Identify resilient role models. Do what they do.
- Focus on the journey, not the destination. Embrace gratitude throughout the process.
- Help others. Be giving and get your mind off of yourself.
- Face your fears and learn to control your negative emotions.
- Stay physically fit. Resilience requires stamina and energy.
- Laugh as much as you can. Don’t take things too seriously.
- Live in the moment. Practice mindfulness and be willing to sit still and take in the awesome power of now.
- Take the next step—every day—no matter how hard it might be.
- Be happy. Resilience and happiness are closely related. Positive emotions are the fuel for resilience.
I hope you’re committed to living a full and resilient life. If you are, you can move forward with confidence and knowing that the best is yet to come!
Cheers,
Coach Brett Blair
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