This has been a year to say the least. I have counted more lows in one year than ever in my lifetime. And yet, I have also reached some new heights as well. I consider myself the "eternal optimist," refusing to be broken by life's rough edges and sharp corners. My Mom would remind me I'm just stubborn and yes that is true but I do always love looking for those silver linings. I may not be able to see them right away, but eventually they surface. I guess it's the challenge of perspective that drives me to persist.
What is striking to me about myself and others during this wild year is the amount of resilience we all have shown. Resilience by definition is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness, the ability to spring back into shape; elasticity. If we've made it this far, with all our scrapes, bumps & bruises, then we ARE resilient. We find ways to change course, emotionally heal and continue moving forward toward our goals. A contributing factor to being more resilient is optimism/having a positive attitude. Optimism has been shown to help reduce the impact of stress on the mind and body even in the midst of disturbing experiences. 2020 was undoubtedly a disturbing experience! Getting through tough and even painful times without being carried away in the wake of overwhelm and added stress isn't easy for anyone. It's about accepting that life is a mix of losses and wins. I've had to accept a lot of disappointment and failure this year, as we all have. I remind myself that failure is human. Everyone no matter their background, skill set or life story will fail spectaculary at least once in their life. Learning to be ok with that is a critical skill.
A skill tied to resilience but also future success. Accepting mistakes builds better emotional regulation.
If we can do just 1 thing going into this new year (and beyond), the power is in practising to be comfortably uncomfortable. To be willing to hang out in that space and be curious enough to discover what we can learn about ourselves and the world around us. Stay open and flexible with change and uncomfortable situations rather that relying on habitual "comfortable" patterns of behaviour. This is the way to building our resiliency muscles. So as we move into this new year, let's make it a priority to lean into our discomfort as an act of self-love and compassion. We are intentionally moving in the direction of being our best self. We are fully embodying our goodness, wisdom and unrelenting strength and living our best life.
Namastay Resilient
~ Elisa ~