In this series, I’m using the word THRIVING as an acrostic to discuss what leads to a thriving life. We’ve talked about the importance of taking responsibility for our lives and being honest and humble in life.

I invite you to use your imagination for this article:

Now I want you to picture a strong storm in your imagination. It’s wild, windy, and scary!

Now, picture two different trees. Both about the same height and the same size.

As the wind hurls about, the first tree starts to bend…and eventually it breaks, with branches and leaves flying everywhere lost to the gales of the storm.

The second tree, like the first, bends. However, unlike the first tree, this tree stays intact.

Despite the strength of the wind and the power of the storm, this tree bends but doesn’t break. In fact, not only does this tree not break, but it actually gets stronger!

Today let’s talk about the letter R for RESOLVE TO BE RESILIENT

The word “resolve” means to “reach a firm decision about” something (Merriam-Webster online dictionary).

Interestingly the word “resilience” essentially comes from an old Latin word that means “to jump back” or “recoil.” (for more on the etymology of the word, check out Resilience Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster).

Then there’s the word “resilient.” Here are several different meanings according to the Cambridge dictionary online:

“able to be happy again after something difficult or bad has happened.”

“able to quickly return to its usual shape after being bent, stretched, or pressed.”

“being able to improve quickly after being hurt or ill.”

“able to return quickly to a previously good condition after problems”

In a nutshell, I’d say “resolve to be resilient” speaks to the FIRM DETERMINATION to BOUNCE BACK from any situation.

We all get hit with various storms in life, whether big or small. What counts is not whether we are affected (being “bent,” “hurt,” “stretched,” etc), but it’s how we bounce back from those storms.

You see it in our culture, in our books, movies, and songs among other things.

I think of the movie “Rocky” which was a classic when I was growing up. It’s a fictional story about a simple guy from humble beginnings who learns to rise through the boxing ranks to take on the world heavyweight boxing champion. It’s about his resolve to be resilient and what happens when he is.

And then there’s songs. I think of songs from the 70s/80s like Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop,” and Billy Ocean’s “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Gets Going”..or even newer, more recent songs like Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor,” Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song,” Andra Day’s “Rise Up,” or Demi Lovato’s “Warrior.”

I’m not necessarily endorsing these songs. My point is simply this: there’s something in the DNA of the human soul that wants to be resilient but sometimes we all need a little help, a little reminder, and a little inspiration.

Summary:

What leads to a thriving life is having a FIRM determination to bounce back when life gets hard, challenging and feels impossible.

Putting it into Practice:

What about you? Are you like the tree that bends and breaks or like the tree that bends and strengthens?

If you want to be resilient, what is something practical you can do to move in that direction?

Do you need to listen to a song like one I’ve listed above? (or maybe you already have another)

Do you need to seek out examples of resilience around you?

Do you need some help through a relationship with another learning how to bounce back when life gets hard and challenging?

Let’s go THRIVE, shall we?

Sean