Resilience and Always Rising Again

 Well, I guess there isn't a more appropriate time to write this than now as I am not sleeping and we leave at 3:00 AM to head to Indianapolis for my surgery this morning. I wasn't quite sure which direction I wanted to go with my next post. Obviously I've figured it out. I have so much to share and I don't always know until I begin my next post which topic out of many I am going to cover. I'm like a simmering pot...Over the years everything has had time to marinate as good things take time to be ready. Then you reach near boiling ready to bubble over.......Just as many different ingredients are added to a pot of stew, all of my life experiences have created this beautiful story full of life, resilience, strength, hope, courage, and inspiration. There's so much waiting to come out that at times I feel like I could burst, or shall we say boil over. I have to sit for a bit sometimes to ponder and pray, then when I begin, it just all comes together beautifully........kind of the same as the end result of what has been simmering for hours in a pot. 

God knows the message that needs to be heard and when, so I just follow His lead. He knows who needs which piece of the message I am to share. Today, it's resilience, which has become one of my strong suits that helps immensely when pushing through very difficult times and circumstances. I am beyond grateful for the level of resilience God has given me I can tell you that. It's something that gets built up over time and the fruit of hard labor in every way imaginable. It's the ability to withstand and come back quickly from very difficult situations. 

Let me give you a lesson in resilience you can apply to your own life. The characteristics of a resilient individual are as follows: 1. Awareness - Resilient people are aware of their emotions, the situation they are in, and the behaviors of others. These characteristics help you maintain control and find new solutions. You have to become solution oriented and you have to learn who you are. 2. Optimism - Resilient people have a positive mindset and focus on opportunities instead of problems which helps them stay motivated and find solutions. 3. Self-care - Helps you know and be in touch with your needs and feelings, doing things that bring you joy. This really helps keep me going. 4. Mindfulness - Helps you develop new perspectives and self-awareness. 5. Gratitude - Practicing gratitude helps you to build resilience psychologically and physiologically. In return, it helps you bounce back from stressful events and prevents worrisome thoughts. 6. Embracing change - Accepting and adapting to change help you to be resilient. I journal about new opportunities or learning experiences that recent changes have brought me. 7. Emotional Intelligence- Helps with resilience and helps you cope with stressful situations, maintain a positive outlook, and learn from experiences. 8. Growth Mindset - People with this characteristic are more resilient because they are more likely to learn from failure and persevere in the face of adversity. They see challenges as an opportunity to grow. 

Trying to take a positive perspective on situations, viewing challenges as learning opportunities, and regulating emotions then in return expressing them in positive ways are things I do that have helped me become resilient. You have to be solution oriented and you can train yourself to do that. Once you have, it's easier to focus on the things you can control instead of wasting time, energy, and emotions on the things you can't. I'm sure you're all familiar with the Serenity Prayer and I can tell you that it's helped me a TON!!! And, what a perfect prayer for any situation. You've got to be able to accept things and that doesn't mean you agree with them or like them, but acceptance is what helps you pull through a lot of bad things, then honing in on a positive solution. 

People are always shocked at how quickly and how well I bounce back after hardships, big surgeries, and tough circumstances. First of all, God is the number one reason, but the other part of it is because of the work I do on myself to even have the ability to do so. Pick your hard!! I'd much rather do the hard work to be this person I have become than do even harder work remaining in a situation allowing it to defeat me, which will literally suck the life out of you and keep you stuck. I don't know about you, but I refuse to be stuck. I want to survive, thrive, and live my best life! 

Yes, it sucks having my now 28th surgery and I have not had small surgeries. Some of them have been, but I have had several major surgeries. This one is a big one and yes I have the normal pre-surgery nerves, dread, etc, but I am more so filled with excitement about my future, having my life back, and the end result. I go into crappy situations with my focus on that and doing whatever is necessary to stay strong and built up until I reach that glorious victory!! My main focus for a bit needs to be on rest and healing so I will be out for a few days not blogging, but I will hop on as I am able. The recovery time is 6-8 weeks. I will be spotty with my posts but will come back full force and keep this journey rolling that we are on together. So, until next time, do yourself a favor and pick one thing you want to work on one day at a time and you will start to notice a difference. Be patient!! Trust me, it'll be worth it and the more change you see the more hungry and motivated you will become for more!! Until next time, God bless!!!