Comments on: Bouncing Back

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:41:22 +0000

It’s weird: a few of my friends received unsettling news in the past 24 hours and really needed the message about resiliency…just not right away.

By: Nicki

Nicki — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:37:13 +0000

I am a resilient person. As I looked at the list of qualities, most of those I would score myself high on. Yesterday, when I started reading this, I had to stop. I was blindsided with some news that I probably could have foreseen but did not want to see. I took off on a run and thought things through with myself and God and came back ready to really see the issue and think of what I was going to do.

Thank you for your words as they are so important.

By: ABF

ABF — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:25:47 +0000

I’ve never been a resilient person. Problems arise and I tend to quit or go belly up. Resiliency is definitely the one big thing I need to work on in order to be successful in life.

By: Daddo

Daddo — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:57:41 +0000

A dear friend of mine, Ernie Larson, was fond of citing the following: “There are no problems in life, only ‘situations’. How one chooses to react to these situations will determine if they will become problems or not.”

Ernie was one of the most resiliant people I ever met. Perhaps Ernie’s words provide insight into how one can minimize the number of “problems” one must deal with in life thus preserving one’s storehouse of resiliancy for those “special times” when it’s truly needed.

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:46:55 +0000

Another good point, Kristen. The differences are subtle, but toughness and resiliency are definitely distinct. I know a lot of “tough” people who don’t necessarily demonstrate resilience (and vice versa).

By: Kristen @ Motherese

Kristen @ Motherese — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:19:12 +0000

Until recently I confused resiliency with toughness. I am a pretty tough person (i.e. I am adept at shielding myself from harm and have good defense mechanisms), but resiliency is a talent I am still working on. I am grateful for this list of reminders, almost like achievement benchmarks to shoot for.

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:39:37 +0000

You bring up a good point, Katie. Resiliency doesn’t necessarily mean immediately picking yourself back up and proclaiming, with a smile, “I’m okay!” (In fact, I think doing so could actually have the opposite effect.) We’re all afforded a little wallowing time before we dust ourselves off and move forward: it’s all part of the process.

By: Katie (Life Discombobulated)

Katie (Life Discombobulated) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:17:15 +0000

Thanks, Elizabeth! I needed some major inspiration today to cultivate resiliency, so this post was right on the money! I think I’m a fairly resilient person, but often times need to talk things through with a friend (and sometimes feel sorry for myself for a day or two) before I can move on. Also, I agree that those more adept at handling tough situations may have been more likely to have put themselves out there and risk disappointment more times than others…

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:16:27 +0000

I agree: exercise is huge for me, too. I’d put it under the author’s “staying healthy” category, I suppose.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:11:31 +0000

Resiliency is a huge part of a successful life. I agree with the list of key ingredients. It’s important to be realistic, not fatalistic. Optimistic, but not in a fantasy kind of way. I’ve had some blows but after getting bored with licking my wounds, have always decided to get on with life and make improvements. I would also add, as banal as this may sound, that getting lots of exercise is critical to pumping up energy and optimism.