12 thoughts to build your resilience

Here is a list of thoughts that help me remain resilient in my work and to a large extent enjoy a life that makes me happy.  

Why to a “large extent”? 

I’m sceptical of anyone who says their life is amazing every day because challenges and horrible things do happen and no one on the planet escapes completely unscathed. 

People close to us die, get ill, and we have other disappointments. 

We have to cope, be resilient. 

 We can control our attitude, but it is unhealthy to pretend to be a robot and not feel emotions. 

Equally it is unhealthy to allow emotions to totally engulf us to the point of not being able to function or where we constantly feel sorry for ourselves. 

The time it takes for anyone to recover from setbacks vary, but it is helpful to consider yourself as resourceful and resilient, able to cope and equally never to be too proud to ask for help when we are struggling for answers or perspective.

1. I can create the attitude to life that I want and can be proud of.
2. Eliminate scarcity - think abundance. The pie gets bigger, so growth and success are not dependent or restricted to a limited piece of pie. One person’s success rarely means you deprive another of success. 
3. The biggest limits are the ones you place on yourself in your own head. 
4. Mistakes happen, learn and move on. Dwell and drown!
5. There is only one person to convince - when that job is completed then you will be what you believe you are. 
6. It all works out well when you expect it to, the only thing you don't own is the timing. Trust, for it will be, when you are ready. We all tend to believe we are ready before we are!
7. Perhaps when you think you are ready, you underestimate the task to outlast the belief of others. Come again and again because ultimately that desire and perseverance is irresistible. 
8. Life ultimately is about peace of mind, love and happiness and as big as that seems the task is simply to think that way. 
9. Is healthy thinking easy? When you think healthily it is, the trick is keeping it that way when circumstances are doing everything to persuade you otherwise. 
10. The gift is it is never too late. The answer is "Just do it" and when it becomes a habit your life is changed forever. 
11. The challenge is the 'Path.” Any Way' you choose to explain the discipline to stay on the path of believing in good, believing in your processes, in believing that it all works out for the best - because so many people will try to point you, mostly unwittingly, in the direction of their own negativity, misery or surrender.
12. The answer is always to take positive cognitive or physical action. Deliberately (cognitively) doing nothing can be positive. Inaction is sometimes the sensible decision. 

I would love to hear your coping strategies, so please comment or email [email protected] with gems of your own. I will compile a list and post at a future date either anonymously or if you want to be acknowledged please request and you will be attributed.

Written by David Sammel