Sharing "Stories of Resilience"

In these summer months many of us are gifted with opportuntities to play in the great outdoors. For me, these also provide chances to stretch my wings, try new things, and build my resilience. I’m about to turn 52 but I’m not about to stop learning and growing. I recently had the chance to learn to kayak, for example, and I literally “jumped right in”. I had visions of being dumped into the dark lake, but I also had hope that I might see parts of this majestic park unavailable to landlubbers.

In The Resilience Way, I talk about three Factors that I used in my kayak experience. I started with Confidence. I had a positive attitude about learning to kayak, and I took a leap of faith and agreed to try it. I also asked for help (Seek Support) from others who knew more about kayaking than I did. From a complete stranger, for instance, I learned the best way to get in without tipping. I also used my Self-Awareness as I recongnized my concern about losing control of the situation. I had to focus on that worry and realize that the worst case situation was a quick dip into a lovely warm lake - not so bad, really.

Jumping into that kayak allowed me to learn and grow and share some special moments with my family. The kids watched me demonstrate my strong Value around life long learning. We also got to sit quietly together in a tiny secluded bay and watch a parade of dragonflies in a rainbow of colors. We watched the resilience of Mother Nature and built our own resilience along the way.

So what are you not doing because you are afraid? Perhaps you could reconsider the need for that fear and find the courage to give it a try. We are all resilient to some degree and we can continue to build that ability to manage through stuggles and challenges by doing just that - take on a new challenge! Enjoy and tell me your story about a time when you did this. And if you have any kayaking advice, bring it on!