What is Resiliency?
Resiliency (or resilience) is a term that most of us have heard, but what does it actually mean? I used to think that being resilient meant dealing with all my problems on my own without ever asking for help, and it took me a long time to realize that that isn't exactly the case. Resiliency refers to a person's ability to adapt in challenging situations, however, it also refers to a person's capacity to reach out for support as needed. In fact, my perspective on what resilience may have actually hindered my ability to work through challenges in a positive, healthy manner.
I used to see asking for help as a sign of weakness, and as a result, I always set out to manage my struggles by myself, as I naively thought it was a sign of strength independence. If I could figure it out on my own, I saw it as being successful, no matter what emotional repercussions were. And let me tell you, those repercussions caught up with me eventually. I had developed a crippling fear of 'failing' if I wasn't able to do something on my own, which in turn led to significant issues with perfectionism and black-and-white-thinking. I had created this narrative that I didn't need anyone for anything, and that the only person I needed to rely on was myself. I operated with this perspective for longer than I can remember, and it's only in recent years, after achieving significant personal growth and self-awareness, that I came to understand what the true meaning of resiliency is.
Being resilient, as mentioned above, is a person's ability to adapt to challenging situations. Part of adapting to challenging situations is not only acknowledging when we need help, but also taking the initiative to reach out for support when we're not able to deal with things on our own. With resiliency comes an aspect of humility, and that's what allows us to overcome our egos and get the help we need.
For more information on resiliency, check out this article
Comments
Post a Comment