They say that resiliency is the ability to bounce back after a major difficulty and unrest. Examples of resiliency are all around us. A college gymnast showed resiliency when, after his sport was cut from his college’s athletic department, he makes Team USA. In the throes of the COVID pandemic, front-line and medical workers demonstrated resiliency every day in a host of ways. Each time a person takes criticism rather than getting defensive and losing one’s temper they are being resilient.
What do these examples have in common? What does it take to be resilient? It seems that residency is made up of robustness, resourcefulness, recovery, and learning.
Robustness is the ability to keep standing in the storm. It is the quality or condition of being strong. In other words, to be resilient a certain toughness is needed.
Resourcefulness is the skillful management of the troubles. It is the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties.
Recovery is getting to a sense of normal. It is the ability to find the way to finding that place of stability where we can be our best selves and help others to do the same.
Learning is mining the lessons from what happened. It is the capacity to recognize that even in difficult times there is something that can be discovered that can help make tomorrow better than today.
I am able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
– Philippians 4:13
