The word resilience has become fashionable, and I hear it used in conversations among family, acquaintances, friends, doctors and patients, and politicians and their supporters. But now, in times of hurricanes that also affect the mental health of those affected. It’s worth remembering what resilience is.
Resilience is the ability to overcome adversity and emerge stronger from these situations.
While many people don’t experience many difficult situations in life, or fewer than others. It’s always good to occasionally go through unfavorable circumstances to learn from them. Use them as experience to successfully navigate new situations that life may bring.
What do experts say about resilience?
Resilience is the process of adapting well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress. Such as family or relationship problems, serious health issues, or stressful work or financial situations. It means “bouncing back” from a difficult experience, like a ball or a spring.
Research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. People commonly demonstrate resilience. A recent example in Cuba was the suffering caused by Hurricane Melissa in the provinces of Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo. I witnessed the individual efforts to rebuild their lives, with the support of the Cuban state and the Catholic Church, of thousands of people who lost everything in the intense flooding.
That’s why I think being resilient doesn’t mean a person doesn’t experience difficulties or distress. Emotional pain and sadness are common in people who have suffered great adversity or trauma in their lives. In fact, the path to resilience is likely full of obstacles that affect our emotional state.
Resilience isn’t a characteristic that people either have or don’t have. It includes behaviors, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed by anyone. It’s important to remember that going through difficult times can be a driving forcé. Propelling us to plan how to overcome those dramatic circumstances. This fosters creativity and builds the character needed to move forward with greater strength.
Nothing in life is easy; many people don’t succeed. But the most important thing is to keep going. To connect with and listen to people who offer wise advice and who take the time to listen and point out our mistakes. Offering guidance in the best way possible. And also, never stop trying and never give up, not once, not a thousand times, not even more. That’s what resilience is all about, and to survive in this world, we must learn from it.
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