Someone to lean on
When we face the slings and arrows of life, we are more vulnerable than we think but much stronger than we can ever imagine. Sometimes, life really seems to take an unexpected turn and throws us completely off balance; whether it is stress, grief or loss. Whether we like it or not, it is something that is likely to affect us all at one point or another, but the question is how do others still succeed and flourish, despite immense pain and trauma?
Those people aren’t just strong or thick skinned. They are resilient.
But what does Resilience actually mean?
Resilience is like a blow-up ball – you can put pressure on it by squeezing it, but when you let go, it quickly goes back to its original shape. It is able to bounce back.
But how resilient are we really?
Although some of us were born resilient, and seem to have overcome every failure & bounce back every obstacle; you do not have to be born with a resilient mindset. Resilience is a skill that can be honed, just like learning a new instrument. We can all become resilient, regardless of our background or the challenges that we face.
There are many ways we can become resilient but today I would like to focus on one in particular: “not being alone “
The most valuable lesson I have learnt in the past few years is that if you have lived a traumatic experience, the likelihood is that someone else out there, has too and is looking for support just like you. Hence sharing the load and having someone to lean on is crucial.
Although not everyone feels comfortable talking openly about personal tragedy. We all make our choices about when and where and if we want to express our feelings. Still, there is powerful evidence that opening up about traumatic events can improve mental and physical health. Speaking to a friend often helps people understand their own emotions and feel understood.
Nowadays there are many ways to connect with one another whether it is by networking, blogging or social medias, and talking about our issues can be a huge step forward in building resilience.
When you open up to others, you discover that you can help them too. You learn new tricks and hear yourself saying things that you never told yourself before, not only do you learn to bounce back but you learn to bounce forward.
Resilience comes from deep within and from support from outside us. No matter how many times we have been knocked down we get back up. So, let’s help our friends and family to do the same.
What about you, do you tend to share your feelings and emotions with your loved ones?
What do you find most helpful to do when you need to be resilient?