Let’s talk about resilience for a minute. Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. This is Easier said than Done.
Many times when faced with turbulent times, we tend to sink into the depths of mental despair, knowingly or unknowingly. Yet there have been several instances in our lives where it has been proven over and over again that we are stronger than whatever adversity we have gone through in the past.
About 10 years ago, I had just been newly employed as a journalist in a very successful broadcasting station in East Africa. I was a fresh graduate, full of bubbly enthusiasm and a passion for human interest stories.
As with any other newsroom, there were several challenges but none came close to the day I was confronted with mortality. I had been sent on assignment to the scene of a pipeline explosion. Seeing and smelling the carnage firsthand doused any enthusiasm I had for field reporting. What followed was a series of sleepless nights, breakdowns at work and a general lack of zeal. My performance suffered and my bosses were not understanding.
I wandered aimlessly through those corridors for another year, left television and hopped from department to department within the same broadcasting station trying to find a place in the workplace where I fit. Looking back, I was disillusioned and probably a little depressed. There was no one to help me go through what I had seen. No counseling sessions, no talks with my family, priest or pastor.
It’s almost unbelievable that I held on to that job for over five years. But I learned a few important lessons. There is an African proverb that says "by crawling a child learns to stand."
The reality check that early in my career helped me acknowledge that in life, I would face failure and disappointment, I would let others down and I would feel let down, but I would need to adapt in the face of stress in order to survive.
I had to cultivate a deep belief in the ability to cope, activate positive emotion, stay connected to sources of support, talk about what I was going through with a significant other or wise figure, and I had to be helpful to others. Most of all, I had to learn to NEVER GIVE UP.
At IncubatorU, we are all about resilience. We understand that everything in life is about balance. We know how important it is to push forward even when we fail and go through setbacks. While life can be hard, it shouldn’t always be! We can teach you ways to let go, adapt and survive while surrounding yourself with a vibrant community!
Looking to transform yourself or team and achieve resilience? Reach out to IncubatorU’s founder Michael via email; michael@incubatoru.com