Resilience Wins… And Here Are 3 Ways to Create It
A good friend of ours stopped into the office the other day. He’s one of our favorite people to be around and a past client. Why a past client, and not a current one? Life handed him some challenges – hard left turns, curveballs, and washed-out bridges. We’ve all experienced them on some level. In his story, he ended up closing his business and taking the past year to reflect and regroup. That’s why he was sitting in our office. He was ready to start again.
As we sat at our conference room table, and he shared the path he was on, one statement stood out more than the rest…
“I’m so thankful for everything I’ve learned going through all of this. I’m better because of it, and I’ve learned so much.”
These were the words of a man who has stood on the mountain top and been through the valleys. He’s sitting in our office, sharing his very personal journey, and the thing that will stick with us forever is his example of embracing the valleys.
We’re writing this today to share the real story of an entrepreneur and professional who has not traveled a straight, smooth road. Sound familiar? You’re reading this, and it likely resonates with you and reminds you of your own journey. Nothing comes easy, does it? That’s our reason for putting it out there. We’ve all experienced adversity, and yet we think we’re the only ones.
To be transparent, OrangeBall has been like that for us at times. It’s been an amazing ride, but it has required a level of resilience that we didn’t anticipate when we opened our doors eight years ago. The highs have been high, and the lows have been low, but through it all, we strive to thrive. It’s not easy, and some seasons have been more challenging than others. Over eight years, we’ve had to be resilient.
So what creates real resilience? Here are three keys we’ve discovered…
- Gratitude. Without a doubt, gratitude is the first thing you need to create a resilient life. The only way to continue moving forward when things get challenging is to continue focusing on all that you have to be thankful for. An attitude of gratitude is the foundation – our ability to be grateful in the midst of struggles makes all the difference.
- A Strong Circle. The people you surround yourself with are the second key to creating resilience. If you are trying to do anything alone, you will always be limited to your own strength and abilities. By creating a circle of trusted colleagues, friends, and family, you multiply your own power and get stronger for those challenging moments.
- Flexibility. Our ability to pivot and adapt when things shift is the final key. For that friend who wandered into our office, his reflection led him to a pivot in his business model and back to the things he is passionate about. Rather than being tied to one specific path, he gave himself some room to explore. Now, he’s changing direction to be more in line with his goals and what brings him joy. He didn’t quit when the challenges came – he found ways to adjust his direction and navigate through and around them.
Call-to-Action
This week’s call to action is two-fold. First, if you’re experiencing challenges of your own, go back to those three keys and use them to find your own resilience. Start with gratitude. Second, and possibly even more important, help someone else to find their resilience. We’re all in this together, and one thing we can guarantee is this… Helping someone else be resilient will help you be resilient. It’s contagious.
