Episode 025: Resilient Through Life's Curveballs
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Hey there! Welcome to Live Your Truth Love Your Life. I’m Adrienne, and I appreciate you listening in today.
Today, we’re talking about Resilience. I went in to my hair stylist recently, and she asked me how things were going, and I told her that they were going great, a few bumps in the road lately, but all in all, I’m adjusting and going with the flow so all is good.
She asked what kinds of things have happened. I told her that within the last two months, two trips fell to pieces. One became something other than what I intended, and one I had to cancel altogether. There were some family health issues in the mix, I dropped a massive glass container of Nivea lotion that shattered everywhere, and one of my dogs died. I’m still feeling all the feelings around my dog dying, so that was a hurried declaration tacked on at the end because I wasn’t in a space where I wanted to cry and feel that in that moment. It wasn’t just a casual oh and this awful thing happened.
She looked at me and told me you’re the only person I know that when things go to hell, you just make a new plan. Sometimes you even laugh about it. How in the world do you do that? So I want to talk about that.
And for full information, after that conversation, I had to cancel another trip that I had planned for a wedding, bump up my trip back home to Boston due to some family stuff, and my first night in town, I again dropped another giant glass jar of the same lotion, and it smashed. The Nivea glass container of lotion incidents may seem trivial, but they make a huge mess, broken glass everywhere, and is entirely inconvenient. All this to say, I’m on a roll.
I look at resilience as adaptability, acceptance, and being willing to at least consider that what isn’t good for me might be better for someone else. I’ll break all of that down, and we’ll get into it, but I want to throw a few definitions out there to get us all on the same page.
Resilience: the power or ability of a material to return to its original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.
The ability of a person to adjust to or recover readily from illness, adversity, major life changes, etc.; buoyancy.
Adaptability: The ability to adjust to new conditions or changes in the environment effectively.
We know that life is unpredictable, and resilience is critical because it equips us to handle the ebb and flow of challenges and changes, ensuring we don't just survive but thrive. When things happen, especially things that are entirely out of my control, there’s no forcing, sucking it up, enduring. Rather, I try to take it in and adapt. I consciously change my mind and change my actions.
The thing is, it’s not like I don’t feel emotions. I get sad, angry, mad, frustrated, and whatever else comes along when you feel like everything is going to hell in a handbasket. But I don’t stay in those emotions. I feel them, remind myself that feeling is temporary, and when I’ve gathered myself, I try to consider what I can do next to adjust.
An important part of resilience is to stop wishing for things to be different than they are. We can hold inspired visions in our heart that we work towards by aligning that vision with our actions, but putting energy into trying to change something that can’t be changed is a fool’s errand.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is objectively assess the situation, which typically happens after you feel the muck of disappointment, frustration, or other low vibe feeling. When you can assess the situation, you can see clearly what has to be done to move forward. Maybe it’s changing the plan, trying again, taking a break, pivoting entirely. Only you can decide what that looks like for you.
So, I said that acceptance is a key part of resilience. Acceptance is something that is a work in progress for me, and doesn’t happen instantaneously. I believe that everything I encounter is happening for my expansion. It’s the experience I'm supposed to have, and I know that because I’m having it. I believe that life is happening for us, not to us, and even more powerfully, it’s happening through us. I have found that when I can accept things, I feel like I’m co-creating life with life rather than feeling like life is out to get me.
To be clear, acceptance doesn’t mean that I like what’s happening, or I’m happy about it, but rather, I can see it for what it is. This frees up energy to then move through the thing rather than trying to fight what is. You don’t need to know how you’re going to move through it, how you’re going to deal with it, how you’re going to solve the problem. You can accept it without giving up your power. You can be afraid, be doubtful, experience suffering, and you can feel all of that and then make choices that will end your suffering. I believe the old adage that pain is mandatory, suffering is optional. Things are going to be hard and awful, but you don’t have to stay in that mental state of suffering.
Also, something that might help is shifting your perspective. Sometimes, what’s happening in your life could be triggering events that will bring about the best for someone else. Maybe. And maybe that’s too optimistic for some, but it’s possible.
None of this stuff is easy. Life is hard. But usually on the other side of hard, is your most beautiful experiences and transformations. At least that has been my experience.
Next time, it feels like everything is falling apart, feel your feelings, and then ask yourself how you can adapt and practice acceptance. It will put you in an entirely different energetic space. Until next time, have a great week!
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Reflect on a recent challenge or unexpected event in your life.
How did you initially react?
What emotions bubbled to the surface?
Now, imagine looking at this event with a lens of adaptability and acceptance.
How might you navigate this situation differently, or what perspective shift could change your emotional response?
Write down any insights, lessons, or newfound resilience that emerges from this reflection.
Take your time with these questions. Sit with them, revisit them, and most importantly, act on them. It’s time to turn your insight into action.
There are no limits to this exercise - let your mind roam free, and be as detailed and creative as you can. The more vivid your visualization, the more tangible your dream will feel.
This is your time, your moment, your opportunity to make magic. Believe in your own potential, and let's see where this journey can take us. Happy journaling!
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Find clarity amidst the chaos of everyday life.
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