I recently attended a workshop with some addictions counsellors on the topic of resilience.
Now the word isn’t new to me, yet, each time I reflect on what it means, it continues to have significant purpose.
Obviously, for the addicted it means to have a resistance to relapse. For the ones struggling through cancer it’s the will to live. For those who may fight depression it’s a resistance to hopelessness… the application could go on and on.
Webster’s Dictionary says: “It’s the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress.”
Many people I meet, both in person and online, have similarities to life. They have situations of compressive stress. In fact, if we’re honest, we all have something going on in life that qualifies as “stressful” .
The key then is not to eliminate the stress, in fact, Jesus even tells us, “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world!” (Jn 16:33) This word trouble actually means to be pressed together or distressed.
The key then is to ask, how do we become resilient to stress?
We all have our own common responses to these situational deformities of life that cause stress and even some pain. There are external responses which can be behaviours both appropriate and some not so much. For example, medicating stress with a substance is obviously not the best idea. While finding wise counsel to ‘process’ your life, is much better step in the right direction.
The other response is internal, we call this “Self Talk”. Did you know that most of your communication is done with yourself? Our thoughts are constant dialogues within us that really do shape our emotions and attitudes and eventually formulate behaviours.
So a large part of being a resilient person is formulated in the incubator of your mind. Consider climbing Mount Everest as a metaphor to how you deal with your stressful situation. This peak is one you need to climb, although, it’s not scalable in one day, or even a week! It takes conditioning and practice, not to mention the acclimatization of elevation due to low oxygen levels.
Your inner voice and communication can be conditioned to conquer a Mount Everest in your life. It can create resilience to the stress of low oxygen and sore muscles of your emotions and attitudes. How?
First, be aware of what’s being said inside your head, listen to yourself.
Second, what you feed will lead, so feed yourself with the positive and inspirational. (Lean into your Identity as a child in the Palace of the King)
Thirdly, exercise the positive voice. The stronger and more authoritative this language becomes the greater your ability to scale the Mount Everest. This is like a muscle that needs a consistent workout routine… it’s slow and steady growth that becomes a lean negative fighting machine.
Here at EastGate we post positive material on Social Media as a regular routine to create a diet of ‘hope filled nutrients’ to any and all who will listen. Please continue to join us here or find us on our Facebook Page or Twitter to assist your healthy online diet!
See in on the streams of life including the Social Media streams!
Chris Wiens