It’s a powerful trait to exhibit in these uneasy times.  Resilience is the emotional elasticity that comes in quite handy when you’re being stretched in multiple directions, sometimes to the point of breaking.  It enables you to snap back into shape and continue making progress; in fact, the energy created can propel you forward.

Resilience is about more than adapting.  While changing shape and modifying past practices is a crucial survival skill, the ability to channel that energy into something new and progressive is the hallmark of the resilient person.

Resilience is also different than recovering. When we suffer trauma, whether physical, emotional or both, the first order of business is to heal.  That process can leave us with scars, both seen and unseen, which are equally real.  It’s when that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, however, we become better versions of ourselves.  Resilience makes us more.

Of course there is another force that eternally battles with Resilience.  That force is Fear, also known as “The Resistance” (see Stephen Pressfield’s work) or our primal “Lizard Brain” (described courtesy of Seth Godin).  Whatever you call it and however you experience it, that force can paralyze us and prevent progress; it can also drag us into dark and scary places.  It has the potential to vanquish Resilience, but only if we allow it room in our minds to do so.

The Human Spirit is one of Resilience, where people, communities and countries face harmful forces, but then defeat them.  Resilience is a force for good and an energy source for fueling progress.  We are better together, because Resilience is also a force multiplier.

Vigilance is necessary for Resilience to emerge. And, when it does, there is no stopping it.

Tempus Maximize!