HOW TO BE RESILIENT IN THE 21^ST CENTURY

Part One

 

By Karin Leonard

Webster’s defines resilience as “ability to recover from or adjust easily to change…” At the beginning of this new century, many of us may feel a mixture of millennium anxiety and anticipation.  In these times, the skill to rebound from and flow with the multitude of challenges life brings, is crucial.  

Lasting Lifestyle

It’s not news that taking care of your health, exercise and diet are important.  So why do so many of us struggle with these “basic” challenges?  From my own life and my work with my clients, I know that the gap between what we want and what we do can be greater than the Grand Canyon.  Yet, a healthy lifestyle is the cornerstone of resilience.  When your immune system is strong, you’re in good shape and your energy level is high, you can stay centered even during whirlwind weeks.  How to get there?  Considering your daily schedule, set realistic and attainable goals.  When designing an exercise routine, for example, start slowly, choose activities you like (or could learn to like), and fit them into your life with ease, so you can sustain them.  Be patient with yourself.  The same holds true for food: rather than going on crash diets, think about healthy nutrition as a lifetime foundation.  Educate yourself, make gradual changes and learn to listen to your body.  You are the final authority for what sustains you and builds resilience.  

Peace and Passion

Let’s take two people and give them an identical day: Ron, who gets stressed at the thought of his workday alone, and Tom, who doesn’t seem to get phased by the rockiest moments.  Their experience of the same events differs wildly.  Being able to “flow” with everyday insanity boosts your resilience to the next level.  How to do that?  For a peaceful state of mind, decide that it is a priority.  Then, practice, practice, practice to wake out of the habitual trance that treats everyday stress like an emergency.  Most of the minor upsets of your day - traffic, project deadlines, people annoyances… – can be handled in first gear instead of with full force.  Your body follows your mind, and the more upset you get the greater the wear and tear on your system.  Next time you get annoyed, take a deep breath and decide whether the incident is worth wasting precious energy.  If it is minor, let it wash over you, think a pleasant thought, say something to yourself like “my health is more important than this”.  However, do not stuff your feelings or important issues.  Address them assertively – not aggressively – when you feel resourceful.  Your results will be much greater, your relationships will flourish, and your resilience soars.  Yet to become more centered you don’t need to squelch your passion or put a lid on how intensely you experience life.  On the contrary, choosing harmony within makes your life force available to enjoy what really matters to you.  When energy isn’t wasted on negativity, you are free to tap more of your potential, and to create what you want.

 

For information:   

Karin Leonard & Associates:  (831) 724-5400  

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E-mail karin@innerevolution.com.

 

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