The Importance of Resilience by Liggy Webb

By presenter, consultant and author Liggy Webb... 

Resilience comes from the Latin word resilio meaning “to jump back”. From my research and observations it strikes me that resilient people are able to utilise their skills and strengths to cope and bounce back from the knockbacks and challenges. Some setbacks and adverse experiences could well include illness, job loss, financial problems, natural disasters, relationship break ups or the death of someone you love. If you lack the ability to be resilient you may become overwhelmed by these experiences and simply fall apart.

You may also find yourself dwelling on your problems and using unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with the pain and heartache. Over indulgence of food and alcohol can serve as a quick fix however the long term effect can be highly damaging. If you have the propensity to be a bit addictive this is the time to really focus on a healthy pursuit that will constructive rather than destructive.

I do find it fascinating how people react in extreme situations and I marvel at how amazingly well some people seem to pull through relatively unscathed. Certainly it would appear that some individuals do have personality traits that help them remain calm in the face of adversity whilst others may well react more emotionally and dramatically. We will, of course, all react differently to trauma and stress in our lives. Some people choose to take a more stoic approach and keep their feelings hidden to protect others and some people prefer to express and reach out. Different personalities tend to process information in a variety of ways and your reaction will be part of your coping mechanism. Personally I don’t think there is a wrong or right way to how you initially respond it’s more about how you choose to move forward. Do you just  give in and fall apart or do you do whatever you need to do to be able to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, select the lessons learnt, let go of the negative baggage and move on upwards and onwards. 

I have heard some people describe resilience as the ability to bend instead of breaking when experiencing pressure or the ability to persevere and adapt when faced with challenges. The same abilities also help us to be more open and willing to take on new opportunities. In this way resilience is more than just survival, it is also about letting go and learning to grow.

The key however is about the end result. It isn’t necessarily how far you fall, it is about how high you can bounce back. Sometimes maybe even bigger,  better and stronger as a result of the experience. Resilient people do not allow adversity to drain their resolve. They find a way to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and keep going with a strong belief that things can and will get better. I love this quote by Martin Luther King of Resilience!

 Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces,
I would still plant my apple tree
Martin Luther King