It’s taken me a surprisingly long time to get back into the blogging
mode since returning from my beach respite. It was not as relaxing as
past trips, but it was enough to help me realign my daily habits toward
activities that are far more productive. I had allowed myself to get
caught up in frivolous things that didn’t add much to my life (nor my
work toward finding my own soulful work). Reading Flow
has been highly influential and will probably form the basis of some
upcoming posts. So, it’s good to be back and focused on doing things
that bring enjoyment to me.

Yesterday morning I attended a local ASTD chapter SIG meeting which centered on resilience as a leadership trait.
The topic was actually a diversion from the originally intended
subject, but this one couldn’t come at a better time for me. In the
midst of falling short of expectations and making learning mistakes, it
is important to be able to pick ourselves up and move on. It takes
courage to be able to stumble, fall, and then get back up again (even more courage if you have to repeat this process). But,
how do you get up stronger than before?

The morning’s facilitator referenced Stuart Heller’s book, Retooling on the Run, and his organizational work focusing on the mind/body interaction (more info at www.cultivatingexcellence.com). One key to developing  greater resilience is to practice self-awareness of what we think and how we move.

What enters our thoughts when we are feeling at our best? How does our body move – the position of our eyes and head, the speed of our heart rate, the tension of our muscles – when we are feeling most positive? Then, what happens to our thoughts and body when we are in a negative state?

Being more self-aware when feeling positive and negative can help when we begin to transition from joy to depression. What are the triggers? For me, it’s the lightning quick entry of the thoughts that I’ll never find work again and that I’m not qualified to do anything. Ridiculous as these stories are, they can lead me toward that dangerous negative state of "I’m worthless, why bother?" By noticing these thoughts when they arise, I can better head them off and replace them with those true stories that I am enough, that I have much to offer this world. I can also focus on my posture and breath and move into a place where my body experiences a positive charge.

By practicing and modeling resilience, we offer a powerful example of leadership in a time when chaos and mistakes happen. And anyone seeking soulful work must understand that it’s going to take some tough-minded optimism to make it happen. There’s learning in every situation…perhaps this is my lesson to learn right now, my gift to accept. Is there something in your life right now that is asking you to practice resiliency? Perhaps it is a gift to you, as well.