Why resilience?
by Joan C King
How many of us have experienced the pain of falling off the edge beyond the expected? Longfellow captured this in his words “Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.” Do we recognize the potency of this dark and dreary moment to stretch our mindset rather than roll around in pain? These are the defining moments of our lives. Warren Bennis, regarded as a pioneer of the contemporary field of Leadership studies, confirms the value of such defining moments. “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 bottom–as something they thought was almost a necessity. It’s as if at that moment the iron entered their soul; that moment created the resilience that leaders need.” If this assignment appeals to you this week, choose an adversity you’re currently facing in your life or in your work. Examine how you are viewing it and responding to it. What would it take for you to rise above and reach for a surprising way of viewing it, instead? What would amaze you about yourself moving through it? Be creative. Announce to yourself the intention of become more and watch the miracle unfold.
