Why is Resilience Important?

Resilience is a key concept in 'joined-up' living. Living a life based
on choice rather than being at the mercy of chance or habit is not always easy. That's where resilience comes in.

1.  Maintenance (Getting through the Day)

Managing energy levels; coping with 'normal' hassles at work and at home; staying motivated; staying 'on top of things' even when life is hectic - all of this can seem overwhelming if we are not in touch with our resilience. Resilient people are not content to 'muddle through' indefinitely; they have learnt how to look after themselves on a day-to-day basis.

2.  Moving On (Learning from the Past)

Resilience may also be necessary to overcome painful past experiences. Many therapeutic approaches have people 'peel away the layers' in an attempt to resolve their 'issues'; this can be threatening. Many coaching approaches refuse to deal with the past at all, preferring to focus the person on their future. Both of these extremes miss the point to some extent. Resilient people know what has worked well in their past; they realize that the problem or the trauma is only half the story - the other half is how they survived/coped.