re.sil.ient

catch up - 10/12/11

re·sil·ient (adjective)

1. springing back; rebounding.

2. returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.

3. recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant.

Resilience. In my eyes, resiliency is an incredible feat. Maintaining the ability to withstand the throws of life and thrive, to achieve. To surmount unimaginable difficulties and to find oneself on the other side - not mangled, not broken. Undefeated. Is resiliency a choice? A gift? A curse? This strength to overcome obstacles can be infinite. I believe that overcoming adversity, however big or small, is worthy of pride.

Does having/being resilience mean you don’t need help, or that you have the strength and awareness to seek the help you need? I believe it could be a mixture of both, with a stronger emphasis on the latter. Perhaps resilience has a strong correlation with awareness of self. Perhaps this presence provides the unique focus necessary to cope, to feel, and to confront (internally or externally). I’m not sure I am making sense. Does resilience relate to happiness? Does the ability to bounce back from being “bent, compressed, or stretched” allow a person to experience happiness more frequently? Does “original form” constitute happiness, contentment, or mediocrity? I do apologize, I feel that I pose a ton of questions and really am unsure as to whether or not I ever come to any answers. Maybe fresh eyes can deduct something from my scattered train of thought.

You can tell yourself or someone else anything you want. What makes it true to you? What makes it believable? When does it absorb into us and suddenly become “of course I am” instead of “really?” How do we transform these mantras into recognition of ourselves?