Building Resiliency

I was born to family of resilient women. My grandmother, Romana Villaverde, a Yaqui Indian from the mountains of Hermosillo Mexico, survived with her family eating high desert plants and drinking milk from a goat. Married as a teenager, widowed in her thirties with four children, she lived to be 94. At 92, her doctor recommended she stop smoking. She asked why.

​My mother Maria lived just short of her 92nd birthday. She was courageous, resilient and a loving force to be reckoned with. She was unstoppable when she made up her mind. I think she made up her mind the day she was born under harsh, poverty-stricken circumstances. She remained persistent and resilient throughout her entire life. She mastered ‘bouncing back.’ 

For several years I have received a newsletter, Mental Snacks by Julio Melara, an author and speaker and inspiration to many. His latest offering, Thoughts and Strategies on being RESILIENT, caught my attention. With his permission, I share some of his words of wisdom and resiliency: 

“Resilience is the process of adapting in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, or other significant sources of stress. Becoming resilient helps you work through difficult events, but it also helps you grow and improve your life even in the absence of adversity. Some people refer to resilience as “bouncing back,” but it’s more than that. Being resilient includes learning from past experiences and developing new coping strategies moving forward. Some have asked if resilience is a trait or skill? The research and findings all point to the fact that resilience is a skill. That means you and I can grow in our resiliency.

Here are 6 strategies that will help build and grow your resiliency. In no particular order, I want you to think about them and then do them.

 1.Watch your media intake! Turn off the news and look for other sources of knowledge, wisdom, inspiration and motivation.

2.Don’t isolate yourself. Make your relationships a priority. Communicate and stay connected to your family and close friends. Search out a coach or mentor. Remember, you don’t get relationships you want, you get relationships you build. 

3.Make sure you exercise and move around. Take a walk, jog, but move around. Exercise helps you increase your energy level and release endorphins. 

4.Learn to disconnect from electronic devices and give yourself time to THINK and REFLECT. In the absence of reflective and thoughtful thinking, we do shallow thinking. Be intentional about this time. 

5.Take time to pray. Instead of worrying (which produces nothing positive or productive), carve some time to pray or meditate. A big difference maker. Mother Theresa used to say, “If you’re too busy to pray, you’re too busy.” There is even scientific research that confirms prayer can reduce feelings of isolation, anxiety and fear as well. 

6.The law of attraction is in play in our lives. The moment you start believing that you will bounce back is the same moment things will start going your way. The way you believe is everything in life.”
Thank you, Julio Melara, for allowing me to share your words with my community. 
 
As for my grandmother and mother. . . thanks for the example of resilience you gave our family to keep on keeping on. We are not just ‘bouncing back’. We are learning and developing new strategies and skills to move forward stronger than ever!!

On the move, resilient and getting it done.