One of the trainings that I participated in this week was on resilience. I’m guessing that we all could come up with a definition or interpretation of it, but the Mayo Clinic describes it as “the core strength to lift the load of life”. These challenging days call for all of us to reflect on the values that promote positivity and growth. They challenged us to examine the nine attributes that help to build the skill of being resilient. I learned that there’s always more to learn - what about you? As you read through the list, pick one to focus on as a family and continue through them all. Notice the change and share with me, I’d love to hear from you.
Composure- When life happens, pause. Take a deep breath and think about how we want to respond. Choose our words wisely and with intentionality.
Patience- That word that encourages the pause and then the listening. Really listen to the words others are using and don’t be thinking about what your answer is going to be. Ask questions to understand and repeat back to them, what you think you heard.
Optimism- Life is a journey of hills and valleys, and while we may not like the valley, the view from the top of the hill may be breathtaking. Remember the moments that made our hearts sing and cherish the simple moments, as they pass all too quickly.
Gratitude- Whether it’s your favorite cup of coffee, a surprise treat, or the achievement of accomplishment, don’t forget to savor the moment. Be intentional to thank those who made them possible or worked along with you. With children, when you tuck them in at night, share with them a moment from the day that you are grateful for with them, and let them sleep thinking of the good things in life.
Acceptance- When things are out of control, it’s easy to feel uncertain about many things. When we work on the things we have control over and not worry over things that we can’t control, our perspective can change when we focus ahead.
Sense of purpose- The meaning life gives by what we are involved in, and engaged in. We find courage to do the things we believe in, and by doing so, it offers hope for better days ahead.
Forgiveness- When we have hurt in life, we also have two choices. We can focus on the hurt, or forgive and begin to heal. Keeping grudges and harboring anger doesn’t allow room for positivity and forgiveness. The choice is ours.
Connection- We bond to others in our community with relationships and commonalities. We are less likely to feel lonely or isolated when we spend time with others, and it seems to build hope and courage when we work together.
Kindness-is always the best choice but not always the first reaction we may have. Being kind has been shown to help with coping with the struggles in life and healing from its challenges.
After I finished with the training and taking these notes I found myself drawn to how to make some changes, and I was reminded that what we put into our brains (and heart) is what we are most likely to reflect. What we listen to, read, watch and share will in turn affect our life outlook. Journaling is another practice to focus on the moments of life and look for the good moments while pausing to reflect kindness and forgiveness. I’ll look forward to hearing from any of you who might find this interesting, you can reach me at hill.14@osu.edu
Melinda Hill is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722.
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