Grabbing Resilience by the Horns and Bouncing Back From Any Situation

I think it’s fair to say, that during these times of economic uncertainty, corporate layoffs, and financial woes, on top of the normal everyday stresses we face, it’s not hard to find ourselves getting battered around or knocked down ‘by the bull’. It’s also fair to say that the outcome of these situations is none other than a setback or a kick of mud in the face. And now I’m also going to make it clear, that it doesn’t have to be this way. The truth is, how much resilience a person shows in the face of obstacles or reversals is what can make the difference between success and failure – meaning, it’s time to grab the bull by the horns and take charge of the situation.

Okay, so we know it’s not always that easy – you don’t just get up and start riding a bull overnight, but with a little practice it is definitely achievable. People who are resilient have been where you are, they are the people who roll with the punches, get tossed around, and then get back up to try again. Through practice, training and intentional effort, they have been able to boost their overall resilience.

Let me show you an example.

Let’s take a look at athletes, who are coached from day one to use resilience. Athletes have practiced resilience for so long that it has actually become instinctual and second-nature for them to shake off a loss, a disappointment, or an outright defeat and get right back into the game with a winning attitude and positive effort. If athletes didn’t possess the power of resilience they would likely be forgotten by now because they would have gone down in defeat and obscurity. Here are a couple of cases you may remember:

It was the 2010 Super Bowl championships where great resilience can be remembered. If some of you recall, a complete underdog team – from a city that was essentially wiped out by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina – showed enormous resilience until the bitter end. Most were saying it was amazing – they had grabbed a hold of victory (by the horns) despite the experts predicting their easy demise. But that’s not all; perhaps you can recall the 2010 Olympic hockey showdown. Both Canada and USA had shown resilience throughout the battle. That exciting final contest tested the ability of players on both teams to demonstrate not just endurance, grit and stamina, but amazing resilience that had to be sustained all the way through the championship’s overtime period.

So although it is true that resilience is often shown in the present moment as you rise to push back against unexpected odds, the best way to nurture that kind of resilience is to do it with deliberate training and preparation. When getting up on the bull for the first time, as you try to grab it by the horns, remember to focus on maintaining a confident can-do attitude and positive outlook. What you think can often determine how you act, especially during a crisis. Avoiding any negative thought patterns or fears that occur when getting on the bull is sometimes all it takes to bounce back. Of course when we are stressed, our will power is depleted and we find it much harder to fight for what we want. Eating a healthy balanced diet and getting proper exercise is a valuable component of resilience.

Overall, as anyone who has bounced back and succeeded after being thrown from the bull can attest to, those who experience a comeback gain a tremendous amount of energy and strength from the experience. That means each time you are able to get back up on that bull, your resolve gets stronger and your ability to be resilient improves. After all, success does tend to invite more success. So, keep your chin up because if you can overcome the barrier you’re facing today it will make the rest of the journey easier to handle. What are you waiting for – go ahead and grab the bull by its horns.