Saturday, 9 June 2018

Building Resilience – The Road To Rising Against All Odds


Things will not always happened according to our expectations. When things go south, what would it take for you to pull yourself up and start all over again? How resilient are you? No matter how easy social media makes it look, life is not easy. Even those with a picture perfect life on social media have battles they are fighting behind the scenes. We all have our own battles to fight. Life is hard and will eat you for breakfast if you are not strong and resilient. 


In my own life, there are ongoing battles I fight everyday but I'm grateful for my ability to “roll with the punches” and “go with the flow.” I refuse to let adversity define me.

The pages of life will reveal the things you’d hoped for and also those you never dreamt of. Life has a way of making you wonder and question everything you know. It does not matter who you are or what you are – things you do not like will happened to you. Unpleasant events will locate your address and take up residence like an uninvited guest whose intentions are nothing more than pain, heartache, confusion and misfortune.
"The more you protect yourself from pain, the more you protect yourself from progress/growth. Life isn't about avoiding the bruises but about collecting the scars to prove you showed up for it" ~Nicky Verd
Every great personal story you have ever heard involved overcoming some sort of an enormous adversity. If you shy away from adversity, you take away your power to tell great stories. In the midst of the storm seek the Lord and run unto Him for shelter but never be passive in your own life. You can pray all the prayers but you still have an active part to play in your own life. God only steps in to empower you but never to take over while you sit back. Those that make it in life make it against all odds. Everyone is presented with their own adequate share of struggles, adversity and a chance to quit, but we all have a choice to make - fight and kept on chasing your purpose or quit.
“The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It is the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun” ~Napoleon Hill
 What is Resilience?
Resilience really comes down to the ability to adapt well in the face of life's adversities. Resilience is the ability to go through adversity and come out unharmed or better still, come out enhanced for the next experience. Resilience means facing life’s difficulties with courage and patience – refusing to give up. It is the quality of character that allows you to rebound from misfortune, hardships and traumas. Resilience is rooted in a tenacity of spirit—a determination to embrace all that life throws at you. Resilience is a strong will to make life worth living even in the face of overwhelming odds. Defeat has no grounds when resilience is present.

When you have a clear sense of identity and purpose, you can be even more resilient because you hold fast to your vision of a better future. What is your dream? What is your purpose in life? What do you want to accomplish before breathing your last breathe? The answer to these questions is the catalyst on which resilience is built. Resilience is inadequate without a dream and a strong enough why to bring your purpose to fruition. 

Your purpose will give you the strength to rise back up when knocked down and to always make a comeback after every setback. You certainly do not have control over things that may happen to you but how you choose to react to them is entirely up to you. Decide that no matter what happens or what life throws at you, you will rising against all odds. It does not matter whether it is an event of life that happen without your control or an event that happened as a result of your own doing. People who rise are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things were different. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. They are not defeated and they do not allow life's circumstances to push them down nor hold them down. A resilient person is a no-matter-what person. Life is a battle ground and it is your responsibility to fight.
 “The leaders I met, whatever walk of life they were from, whatever institutions they were presiding over, always referred back to the same failure - something that happened to them that was personally difficult, even traumatic, something that made them feel that desperate sense of hitting rock bottom – as something they thought was almost a necessity. It's as if at that moment the iron entered their soul and that moment created the resilience that leaders need” ~Warren Bennis
Let nothing in any ways and means weaken your resolve, for when it is punctured; life becomes like a young, vibrant and athletic racing horse with a broken leg. It cannot run, it cannot compete, and though still young with great potentials, it ends up prematurely decapitated in the shambles. Being young is no guarantee things will work out. Success is not found in youth but in great determination and resilience. A decision not to lose faith and hope in the face of adversity is not only critical but a determining factor between failure and success. Do not give up when life slaps you on one cheek, do not give the other cheek either but rather figure out how it got to your face in the first place. Strategize and go back to win. Big shots are small shots that kept on shooting.
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent” ~Calvin Coolidge
By Nicky Verd
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Nicky Verd, a Prolific Writer, KickAss Blogger, Transformational Speaker and Brand Ambassador for Global Startup Awards -Southern Africa.

Her purpose in life is to serve, empower and ignite human potential. She is passionate about inspiring you to Take Ownership of Your Life.

Follow her on Social Media because personal transformation doesn’t just happen. It takes daily wisdom, tips and a support system. 

"You owe yourself everything you expect from others"


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