The Need for Resilience
The word resilience means “the act of rebounding” and it originates from the Latin word “resiliens.” It has since evolved in its meaning, varying from terms like “elasticity” to “resistant.”
Resilience is different from grit. Resilience is different from perseverance.
You could argue that these words are cousins of resilience — or that you need either of them in order to remain resilient — but they are not the same as resilience.
I’ve been thinking about resilience a lot lately.
When I put together a lacklustre journal entry to close out my day, it’s resilience that helps me do better the next time.
When I lose my cool with my kids, perhaps being insensitive or less empathetic as I should be, my resilience allows me to bounce back in my fatherhood skills going forward.
When I fail to write a daily blog post on time, I can count on my resilience to make that a rarity.
Ryder Carroll, who I’ve had the fortune of speaking with on a few occasions, said this about resilience:
“No matter how bleak or menacing a situation may appear, it does not entirely own us. It can’t take away our freedom to respond, our power to take action.”
A lacklustre journal entry or an unwarranted stern word for my children may not fit the shape of bleak or menacing, but resilience doesn’t care either way. It knows what to do when it faces situations when it is needed.
We just need to care about being resilient in situations when it is needed.
Otherwise, those situations take control instead of us taking control of those situations.
