Following on the heels of questioning identity, the word resilience came forward. This word means the capacity to withstand or recover from difficulties. Do you have the toughness to spring back into shape like nylon? (tee hee) From the psychological perspective, my interest is with emotional resilience. The ability to adapt when facing adversity defines a resilient person.
Learning from adverse situations can help me feel optimistic. Emotional resilience comes from a process of making mental, emotional, and behavioral adjustments. Life demands a response to the external world. How we regulate internal emotions plays a role in building resilience. Coping strategies, communication skills, and stress management are all part of cultivating resilience. It seems we are facing stress every day with the unexpected situations that arise.
Interest in meditation is increasing as many of us search for ways to calm the frantic mind. Free will is an intrinsic force that motivates us to power through a negative experience. Some may be born with traits of resilience that continue to develop through life. Others have to grow and mature in the era of technology, forcing adaptation. The cycles are getting shorter between changes we never faced before. How do we build resilience beyond the point of mere survival? This is my way of asking for a whisper on the subject of emotional resilience:
Living the human existence offers the unique opportunity to create an artistic impression. Like all art forms, perception of life experiences is subjective. Personality, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings will determine the outlook. Negative and positive outlooks influence the state of being. Enhanced cognition will always reveal that life is fleeting. Every challenge is temporary. To experience obstacles is evidence that you are being offered a chance to evolve.
Emotional regulation is difficult to maintain without connection. Strong interpersonal bonds contribute to the cultivation of resilience. Support through positive reinforcement increases one’s capacity for improving flexible thinking. Social skills that incorporate optimism grow self-awareness. Mindfulness is a form of compassion for self. These things help you gain a deeper understanding of identity.
It takes courage to face adversity from within. Looking for external blame for challenging situations is avoidance of process. Staying attuned to your inner world develops the emotional intelligence needed for acceptance. Moving on from a trauma before reaching understanding ignores the processing of emotions. Remain open to alternative viewpoints while working through emotional turmoil. Flexibility allows you to bend. But the occasion sense of being broken is what offers the spirit an upward path toward the light.
Don’t let an unhealthy bond to daily stress rob you of vital energy. Recovering from stressful situations requires a routine that leads to emotional balance. The artist within must maneuver life as the observer who allows for learning to replace overwhelm. Love and compassion for your self calm the mind to create emotional resilience.
Bring joy, ease suffering and create beauty, then dance like you mean it!
Blessings, Russell
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
Joseph Campbell
Is this card for you?
There are many who promote fear around technology. From the idea that robots will take over the world, to fear that we are losing control of our lives, anxiety can be experienced around technology. To combat any abstract fear, we must develop a strong spiritual practice and that helps bring balance.
At the IEL Institute for the Spiritual Arts, we are dedicated to helping our monthly members. From the 1.4 on Meditation to the various modules on healing and clearing away toxic energy, we are your source for finding balance.
