Defining Resilience

Likely you have heard the phrase, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  This statement was the beginning of a paper I wrote during my doctoral work.  The professor noted that typically she did not approve of using a colloquialism in formal writing but in this case, it worked because I went on to write that this informal phrase was a way to express the definition of resilience.  Formally, resilience is,

A dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity.   Implicit within this notion are two critical conditions:  1) Exposure to significant threat or severe adversity; and 2) The achievement of positive adaptation despite major assaults on the developmental process (Luthar, 2000).

Masten (2001), defined resilience as referring to “a class of phenomena characterized by good outcomes in spite of serious threats to adaptation or development.” 

Reivich (2002) proposed resilience as “the basic strength, underpinning all the positive characteristics in a person’s emotional psychological makeup.  It is the bedrock on which all else is built.”

I have come to realize that I am a very resilient individual.  While I have had multiple setbacks and challenges in my life, I put my energies into my education and my faith.  My education has only taken me so far, but my faith has undergirded everything, even my resilience by giving me hope for a future. 

The definitions above strips resilience down to the good and the bad.  The bad comes with exposure to negatives such as abuse, neglect, or trauma.  But the resilient individual continues progressing in spite of these negatives.

During my own life, I faced multiple setback and negatives.  Yet, I put my energies into paths or avenues which allowed me to continue to feel positive and move forward. Early on I realized that I was a stand-out in the classroom.  I remember now that during my doctoral ceremony the Provost said that less than 2% of individuals in the world obtained their doctoral degree.  I remembered that because it made me feel like I have accomplished something really unique.

While my education has taken me a long, long way and provided me with so many blessings, nothing can compare to the foundation upon which everything is built, my faith.  Faith provides the hope for everything:  for a better tomorrow or a better next year, or even just a stability for the moment.  While I did not grow up in a religious environment by any means, I did have snippets of exposure which allowed me to explore something bigger than myself.  To have a hinting that the world consisted of more than just the tangible here and now made a huge difference in my environment.  It gave me hope of a better future.

So resilience is defined as overcoming the negatives with good.  We see resilient individuals all the time and we see individuals who are not so resilient.  The funny thing is, I do not recall anyone teaching me resilience.  It seems to be something within me that might just be lined to my tenacity (translated:  stubbornness).

The benefits of resilience are a forward progression.  My daughter shared a story with me yesterday about a gentlemen who has designed some make-up.  He tells of how he was homeless and working in a retail store when he believed in his dreams of developing a line of makeup.  Now the brand is taking off and he has a beautiful home as well as luxuries many dream about.  His advice was to continue to believe in your dreams even through the hard times because dreams do come true.

Resilience has a purpose, it inspires home when struggles reign. Resilience provides a belief that something better and something greater is obtainable and within reach.  Resilience provides our future.

What makes a resilient person?  What chips away at natural resilience?

Writing Prompt:  Is there a time you can think of which was especially difficult for you but on the other side of the situation you can note positive outcomes?