Oxford Dictionary defines resilience as ”the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, or toughness.“ I would add ”repeatedly” to this definition. So, ”the capacity to recover quickly and repeatedly from difficulties.”
Resilience is important, because anything worth doing in life will be a struggle. As you engage with the struggle, you will suffer, largely due to the many failures you will likely have. Despite the suffering, you must find a way to try.
Struggle, Suffer, Try. This is how you build a life that matters. To keep trying through the suffering, this is resilience.
Resilience is human nature. We evolved this way, and this is how we are meant to be. If you think you are not resilient, it is not something you lack, it is something to be brought forth. Here are some thoughts as to how you may do this:
Be as healthy as you can be. You will face health challenges throughout life, whether it be a physical injury or hereditary conditions, but the most common are degenerative conditions over which we have a great deal of control. When, How, What, in this order, is how we should eat. Have a regular period of time in which you do not eat, starting at least two hours before bed. Try to make this time as long as possible without bringing yourself too much discomfort. Use your teeth and take your time to chew thoroughly, maximising the nutritional value of what you eat. Avoid sugars, limit carbohydrates, and limit processed food. Make sure you consume fats, proteins, and as many vegetables as you can get in daily. If you can have your vitamin and mineral levels assessed, make sure you are at least the levels recommended by your health authorities. In my experience these levels are inadequate, but certainly make sure you are not below them.
A word on mental health: It is important to understand that the brain is an organ in the body. It is an important one, but ultimately it is the same as the liver and the heart. It is not possible to have good mental health without good physical health. To me, the distinction cannot be made. Both the brain between your ears and the one in your gut need to be well fed and uncompromised by disease or injury in order for us to have a chance at good health (both mental and physical).
Movement is a key part of health. Move as often as you can within the limitations of your condition and circumstances. There are few states in which we are denied all exercise, so if all you can do is sit and stand while holding onto a table, do it. Walk, run, swim, cycle, do push ups. It does not matter what movement or how simple. Get moving. A recent study has found that people who walk are 2.5 times less likely to die from Covid-19.
Nothing undermines resilience like illness; avoid it. Be in reasonably good health.
Resilience can only really exist within a framework for living. My personal one was developed from the Principles of War, which I was exposed to many years ago and which I have adapted as my own Principles of Life. I will share a summary here, and at the end link to a Youtube video which goes more in depth on the subject.
There is one master principle, followed by nine others:
THE SELECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF AIM: If you do not have a purpose, you cannot be resilient. Your purpose does not have to be some world changing ambition, but you need to decide what is important. Imagine where you want to end up, look at where you are, and then start seeing how you are going to get from here to there.
Maintenance of Morale: Morale is not happiness; it is not a feeling. It is the will to persist towards a goal, come what may. The goal has to be deeply desirable to you. If what you are doing does not matter, then it will not be possible to maintain morale during the suffering. You will stop trying and so fail to be resilient.
Offensive Action: Always look for a way to do something positive, no matter your condition. It can be a small thing, with a high likelihood of success and a low cost of failure. Complete an online free course, or repair a broken speaker using YouTube to see how.
Surprise: Look for the chance to do the unexpected. If people underestimate you, use that against them to your advantage. Never threaten or warn. Act suddenly.
Security: Keep your information, property, and person secure. This also goes for your plans; adopt a need to know approach for sharing information.
Concentration of Force: Put your best effort into your most important activities. If you are employed and have a side hustle, do not short change your employers, but do not go above and beyond. Do what is required and save your best for your priority. Work on yourself with the aim of learning how to achieve Sustained Peak Performance; more capacity to bring to bear.
Economy of Effort: Spend only the time, money, and brain-power necessary to achieve the desired outcome in a given situation. Life is not school, you do not have to go for an A in everything. Do what is necessary, not much more. Many things will require major effort, and you will need the reserve.
Flexibility: “A plan is useless, planning is indispensable.” – General Dwight Eisenhower, the last soldier to be President of the USA. This means that in the act of planning you will consider alternatives and see angles not previously thought of. The first shot changes a battle as the first punch changes a prize fight; the plan in both instances thrown out the window. Only if you have done the work of planning will you be able to be flexible and adapt to new realities.
Co-operation: This includes but is not limited to communication. This is about working with others to a common aim. It is about finding people with common interests and making yourself valuable to them. It is about cultivating mentors. It is about doing what is necessary, not only what is required.
Administration: If you can show up on time with all the things and information you need to make a contribution, this is huge. If you have your affairs in order, your important information easily accessible, and your bills set out by due date, you will avoid crises that are unnecessary (such as your electricity being cut off for non-payment of the bill in the midst of a ZOOM call). This will allow you the space (physical, mental, financial) in which to react to genuine crises, and so have the chance to be resilient.
More, if you would like, can be found at the links below.
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