Everything Counts: 52 Remarkable Ways to Inspire Excellence and Drive Results

Chapter 46. Resiliency Counts

"Those with good resiliency skills have a significant competitive advantage over those who feel helpless."

Resiliency refers to the ability to cope well with high levels of ongoing disruptive change; to sustain good health and energy when under constant pressure. It describes someone who is able to bounce back quickly from setbacks and adversities; to change to a new way of working and living when an old pattern is no longer possible; and to do all of this without acting in dysfunctional or harmful ways.

Highly functional resiliency skills are more important these days than ever before. The volatile and chaotic period we are experiencing will not be ending anytime soon; in fact, it is likely to intensify. And it's precisely for that reason why resiliency counts.

When resilient people have their lives disrupted or blindsided in any way, they handle their feelings in a healthy, mature manner. They allow themselves to feel grief, anger, loss, and confusion when hurt and distressed, but they don't let it become a permanent state of emotional distress. An unexpected outcome of adversity is that resilient people not only heal; they often bounce back stronger than before. They are examples of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche's famous statement, "That which does not kill me makes me stronger."

In order to sustain a good quality of life for yourself and your family, you must understand the benefits and purpose of resiliency. Those with good resiliency skills have a significant ...