7 Keys to Developing Resilience Smart, resilient people will always surpass geniuses who quit.
By Sherrie Campbell Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
To be resilient is to be exceptional. We must have the fortitude to stand tall no matter what is happening. Resilience is achieved through the consistent progress we make each day towards our goals. These goals are the benchmarks we design our life around. To live as the exceptional human being we have the potential to be, we must be willing to risk, to know when to rest and to be unafraid to be different from the rest.
In my new book Success Equations: A Path to Living and Emotinally Wealthy Life I teach that resilience requires that we dig deep to overcome the challenges life and business natually bring. To be resilient we must view challenge as the catalyst that inspires our personal development. Life's challenges will absolutely test us to our core. It can be scary. Yet, it is exactly when a challenge brings us to our knees that we cultivate our inner wisdom, our integrity and intelligence.
Resilience is our ability to survive and flourish through our traumas, stressors, responsibility shifts and challenges offered by life.
1. Self-Respecting
We cannot be self-respecting while counting or depending upon others for our sense of self-worth. To be reslilient we must develop the ability to self-soothe when things get tough. There are times we must fake it until we make it by continuing to operate with a sense of composure, regardless of our circumstances. When things are in a particularly stressful place we must tap into our will, motivation and pliability to continue moving forward.
The resilient carry an attitude of faith that all things will work out in their favor because they deeply believe in the value and worth of who they are, what they have to offer, what their goals are, and the importance of their overall life purpose.
Related: 5 Ways to Train Your Brain and Boost Your Self-Esteem
2. Driven
To be resilient we must care deeply about how we are received by others and our abilities to not only perform but to also connect emotionally. When we understand this, we will naturally be more driven, confident, emotionally intelligent. We are not needy, desperate or overly reactive. We carry a relaxed attitude and view rejection as a new direction opportunity. We don't get down when challenged, we commit to getting up. We do not depend upon others for our resources. We are passionate about our life and business goals and deliberate in pursuing our larger purpose. We exemplify complete commitment to the mission of living out our personal legend, not allowing outside influences pull our thoughts away from our focus. We view risk as rewarding and provoking the expansion of our life aspirations. Because of this, we are less afraid of failure and we are not afraid of success. We welcome and celebrate the results of our efforts and have learned to take great pride and joy in our journey, not just in our destination.
It is our experience of joy which deepens our resilience because we have a love of challenging ourselves to continue expanding and pressing forward.
3. Discerning
To be exceptionally happy and successful in life it is wise that we be discerning of the company we keep and whom we choose to have relationships with. Negativity is drama-producing, so we must be mindful not to surround ourselves with those who come from arrogance, ego and greed. We must be mindful to secure mutually beneficial business and personal relationships. The resilient are keen to understanding that without mutually beneficial agreements nothing productive can manifest for either party in the relationship.
The resilient are aware that their relationship choices have a critical impacting on the productivity of their business because they know that when they are not happy personally that their unhappiness infects their energy for their business pursuits as well.
Related: It's All About Nuance. How to Convey and Discern Email Tone.
4. Tasteful
The resilient understand that those who are the loudest are also the least heard. When we are classy and tasteful in our approach to relationship and how we operate our business, we value the understanding of less is more. Hard work is signature to our approach to business, rather than the craving for public accolades. It is our steadfast modest nature which leads the way. Because of this, our success shines all on its own merit. To be tasteful we are mindful to be intelligent in our speech, style and posture because these subtleties communicate our sense of personal value. We are mindful to be well-spoken, elegant, graceful, charismatic, social and quietly infectious. Whenever and wherever we are present, it is our more understated qualities that set us apart from the rest.
The resilient are wise to understanding that confidence doesn't need for attention, it draws attention.
5. Nurturing
It is part of a resilient person's nature to do whatever it takes to get up in the morning to feed and nurture their children, their pets, partners, career and most importantly themselves. We make sure to exercise, eat well and get enough rest. We balance our time so we can create a life-experience which is whole. We avoid working until we drop because we need time to nurture ourselves. Further, no matter the pain in our life we continue to work hard to support those who depend upon us from family to employees. This is essential to us because nurturing what and who you are passionate about is a part of who we at our core. It is this nurturing nature that makes us great lovers and providers.
Nurturing makes us someone others want to have in their lives and we inspire others to give back to us all that we give.
6. Gritty
To be healthy physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually we have to be shrewd, focused, determined and keep our efforts on our aspirations regardless of the distance it will take to fulfill them. Reinventing ourselves is part of our DNA. We trust that we can pull it from where we don't have it when put to the test in high pressure situations.
The resilient feel stress just as anyone else does but their tough-mindedness helps them live the motto to never quit.
Related: Why Focus Is the Number-One Element of Business Success
7. Focused on others
To be exceptional in life or business we must see the good in others. We must notice and value the intelligence and character that other people bring to our life and business. When we are grounded in who we are, we enjoy celebrating the accomplishments of others as much as we love our own success. We are aware that in life and business there is enough for everyone and any belief in the opposite of this only blocks opportunity for us. We deeply believe there is enough love, money, success and passion for everyone; therefore, we do not get or need to be jealous and sabotaging of the successes of others.
The resilient compliment often and are wise to the benefits of genuinely making others feel valuable.
A resilient person living an exceptional life is one who feels deeply, loves fiercely and is willing to work tirelessly. We must embrace our human emotions, allow them to come, but not let them hold them back from our goals. Stand out business men and women are humble and powerful. They are both practical and passionate. Successful business men and women have exceptional character. They are high quality, genuine people. They pursue, with honesty, to be the best in their business and do not give up until they get to where they want to be. They are resilient.
