Are we born with a certain amount of resilience? Or, can we build it over time?
If we can build it, then how do we do that? With our thoughts, our attitude, our environment – or maybe all three??
I heard about a book Man’s Search for Meaning written by Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl. His outlook on his circumstances in a concentration camp and his commitment to his purpose is a beautiful illustration of resilience. One passage says,
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of his human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances. To choose one’s way.”
Finding meaning in your environment, your experience, your life is such an important element of resilience.
With that in mind, here’s a powerful activity to help build your resilience – shift your thoughts with the Purpose-Perspective. When things get hard, adjust your thoughts by focusing on your purpose. Pursuing your purpose is essentially chasing a strong, deeply-rooted feeling of who you were created to be. I don’t think anyone would argue that who you were created to be and your purpose goes hand in hand. But that doesn’t mean the journey of living out your purpose is easy. On the contrary, it’s pretty frickin’ hard. That’s why having purpose-perspective is so so important.
When you keep perspective of your purpose then it gives you the strength you need to overcome adversities along the way and simultaneously adds to your resilience.
Permission to be honest?… Building my dream career, establishing myself as a thought leader, producing content, managing the business, balance being solo-preneur AND a single parent is hard as hell!!! There have been many times when I wanted to just quit and settle for something “secure”, ya know ? benefits, paid vacation time, all that jazz. But, going back to being a W2 employee doesn’t feel natural to me. I know with all certainty that my purpose is to be a light and guide others on their path to fulfillment, happiness, and success. It brings me joy to help others navigate life with clarity and help activate their faith when they feel stuck.
So when things are hard and I’m overwhelmed by setbacks I remind myself of my purpose, take a deep breath, believe in good things to come, and push forward.
I’m telling you from personal experience, no matter how stressful and overwhelming life can be, your attitude and your perspective to what’s going on around you is what shapes that experience. Even when things come your way that are out of your control, your attitude towards it is completely under your control. When you choose to respond to hardship with a growth mindset, you’re in turn, building your resilience.
And ⭐️BONUS⭐️ when it comes to resilience, the more you use it the stronger it gets. It goes a little something like this…
Challenge ? Purpose Perspective ? Bounce Back = Increased Resilience Strength ?
Another fun factoid about the Purpose-Perspective is that it helps you see mistakes and failure as a part of the learning process instead of a major set back or blow to your self-esteem. When you’re chasing your purpose it doesn’t mean you have it all figured out, but that you’re willing to do the work along the way to achieve that fulfillment. When difficulties arise, or when something doesn’t work out as planned, you’re not distraught by the outcome, instead, you use it to move you closer to a solution. Why? Because your purpose is pulling you and that gravitational force can’t be ignored once it’s been ignited.
Thank goodness for that pull because it helps increase your ability to bounce back in the midst of strenuous times.
You know, if you think about it, the only way you can truly build your resilience is if you fail, if things are difficult, and if hard times test you. These are the times in life when you gotta fight back. That’s resilience. You have to choose to stay in the game. That’s resilience. And I also learned along the way that the only way you’ll actually stay committed to the exhausting journey is if your WHY, your purpose, is strongly anchored in your heart. If you’re why isn’t strong, you’ll start to lose yourself along the way.
Maybe you’re still searching for your purpose. That’s totally okay! Here are some questions you could ask yourself:
- Who do I want to be in this world?
- What do I want to offer?
- What impact do I want to make?
- What problem can I help people solve?
- What comes easy/natural to me?
- What brings me energy?
- What brings me joy?
Each and every one of us was created for a special purpose which is connected to the collective good,
and it was fixed in our hearts when we were born. Life is about exploring and ultimately fulfilling that purpose, and when you keep a healthy Purpose-Perspective it helps you continue to push forward when obstacles get in your way.
Don’t give up, don’t give in, instead use strategies like this one to strengthen your mind and build your resilience so you can live a full life of joy, peace, and clarity. You deserve it!