Courage, Clarity, and Confidence

13Confidence Is Resilience

Resilience is the “psychological capacity to adapt to stressful circumstances and to bounce back from adverse events. Resilience is considered a process to build resources toward searching for a better future after potentially traumatic events,” Shahram Heshmat writes in Psychology Today, noting the eight key elements of resilience:¹

1. Pursuing a meaningful goal
2. Challenge assumptions
3. Cognitive flexibility
4. Growth through suffering
5. Acting despite fear
6. Emotion regulation
7. The feeling of agency
8. Social support

I don't know a single woman who is NOT resilient. Honestly, when you look up the definition of resilience, womankind should be listed FIRST, if you ask me!

If you want to feel, know, and embody confidence, revisit all of your answers throughout each part of the ASCEND practice. Every answer to every question reveals your value, wisdom, skills, strength, and capability. Reflecting on all that you have endured and knowing your potential for the future – to keep showing up everyday – is resilience. You are resilient and you can rely on your resilience to cultivate confidence.

My sister Greta shared something with me years ago and it has stuck with me every hard day since: “You have survived 100% of your worst days. And even on your worst days, YOU are still better than average. Don't forget that.” I get emotional every time I say it to myself. My body has a physical reaction where my shoulders drop and the tension eases up. Every time I have a hard moment ...