Hope is the Key to Resiliency
We all love a story that has a hero. We get energized and motivated when we hear about a person that began at the very bottom of the ladder and rose to success through hard work and perseverance. We read entire books about people who took a single idea and devoted a lifetime to perfecting that idea and against all odds, found a cure for a deadly disease or invented something that we use every day. We are inspired when we hear about winners!
What makes the difference between the person that charges forward and will not let obstacles get in the way or the person that allows discouragement to grow and falls by the wayside? Why do some people understand that there is hope in every situation no matter how bleak life’s circumstances may seem? What makes some people go on when the world is shouting to quit?
How can Victor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, write the following words after his horrific experiences in concentration camps: “It’s not what we expect from life, but what life expects from us”?
How can a little girl first raised by her grandmother, sexually abused by male relatives, delivered a stillborn baby at age 14, go on to have the highest rated talk show in history, The Oprah Winfrey Show? How does this happen?
Resiliency. Resiliency is the one quality necessary to view all of the obstacles we face in life as mere stepping stones to great success. Everyone is born with enough resiliency to overcome any hardship, any heartache, or any pain, but not everyone knows how to turn problems into success stories. Not everyone knows how to unleash that near-miraculous power that is within.
Resilient people don’t see problems as an end. Rather, they see problems as a means of growing new insights, greater knowledge, and reaching a higher level of creativity and joy in life. Winston Churchill, one of the most famous leaders of all times, struggled with severe bouts of depression. During these times, rather than give up hope, Churchill painted more than 500 canvases. He learned how to unleash his inner strength, his resiliency, and changed an obstacle into something significant and worthwhile. You have the power to do that, too!
Everyone that breathes is brimming full of unlimited possibilities. Every obstacle that comes our way is really a magnificent opportunity dressed in disguise. When we change our thinking from loss to abundance, we see life in a totally new light. We see a blue horizon that stretches far beyond the cluster of gray clouds that try to rain our parade.
When we are a person anchored to hope, our possibilities are endless. There is no mountain that is too high to climb. There is no day that is without sunshine. There is no storm that cannot be met face-on without a peaceful confidence.
Every living person is filled with an inner strength we call resiliency. By eliminating the word fear and replacing it with hope, every obstacle you face will be seen as one more stepping stone closer to achieving your every dream!
Clara Hinton
Professional Speaker, Workshop Leader, Author