Who is the most resilient person you know?
What about them makes you think of them that way? For me, when I think about a resilient person, I think of my younger self. I remember being told “no” when I wanted something, but that didn’t stop me from asking “why?” or “why not?” I would just dust off my ego and ask again. If I fell down or sang a note off-key I didn’t give up, I would always just try again. Overcoming adversity can feel challenging, but it’s something we all must do. You may be wondering, how do you overcome adversity? Well, the answer may be inside yourself.
What happened to the perseverance and tenacity we all had when we were kids?
I think it’s important to have the same courage we did when we were younger to get up and try again, now.
Since we were younger, we’ve probably been told “no” more than a thousand times. It makes sense why we might lose our ability to bounce back. But if we don’t keep trying and asking and standing back up, the answer might always be no.
Overcoming Challenges
I’ll admit, when I face a new challenge I can be quick to start my mental list of reasons why I won’t be able to handle it. Our brain is great at identifying threats; it’s a way we keep ourselves safe in an uncomfortable situation.
When this happens, I try my best to negate every reason of “why it won’t work” with at least one reason why it could. By practicing replacing my negative thoughts with strong, resilient and solution-focused ones, I always seem to get closer to an answer, and I feel more positive, too.
Being an adult takes a little more effort for being resilient (at first).
I know life is hard, and with age comes responsibility. With responsibility can come more struggles and uncertainty. But all the “no’s” we have heard before are training our resilience muscles. The more we use it, the stronger it gets.
And, I know, it may seem crazy to approach getting back up after falling with the mindset of a child, but when we were young, we just knew what we wanted and had the courage to keep going after it.
How Do You Overcome Adversity?
Ask yourself, “what would my younger self do?”
They would probably muster up the courage to try again.
I know you don’t want to let little you down! You owe it to your past, present and future self to be resilient. You deserve it. So, how do you overcome adversity?
About the Author: Hannah O’Brien is an avid content creator. She is passionate about writing and personal growth. She graduated with a BA in Communication Studies and now is a full-time marketing strategist and content writer.
Hannah’s Instagram: @hannahobrn
