We’ve all been there at one time or another—stuck in uncertainty. It’s a scary place to be and can leave you feeling out of control, helpless, and even hopelessly burned down to the wick. Although each of us differs in how much uncertainty and pressure we can take, there are some situations that challenge even the strongest amongst us.
Over the past year, everyone has been stretched further than we’d ever imagined. Over the past year, billions have dealt with hardship, change, and loss at a level some have never experienced before. All the same, we’ve learned the necessity of resilience and the importance of self-strength. Resilience takes an ability to focus on the positive in a situation and not just have hope that things will improve but to actively believe in yourself and work towards making change positive. While everyone is slightly different in how we cope with extreme difficulties, the one constant between us is the ability to move forward.
The first step to developing resilience is knowing yourself. In the TED Talk, The Art of Being Yourself, Caroline McHugh, expresses concepts of the self and how we sometimes come to know a distorted version. She wonderfully details how to find the uniqueness that no one else could possibly have and why it’s important to spread it openly. Moments of uncertainty are often the best times to look into the mirror and find yourself again. Holding up the mirror in times of duress allows us to look at ourselves for who we’ve truly become and offers a chance to remove pain, ego, or judgment to empower our resolve.
These have been difficult times but they’re defining our collective resilience. As a people, we’re growing stronger. As individuals, we’re learning how to move forward in new ways. This week, challenge yourself to step into uncertainty to revisit who you’ve become in the last year. Consider what you need from yourself at this moment. Defining times such as these, are how we grow stronger together and become known for what we’ve shared with the world. It starts with learning to love yourself and having the courage to spread it to others.
“Have the Courage to Love. I don’t know how or why we bottle it up as if it is going to run out, but it is a precious commodity with an endless supply.”
-Susanne Flowers
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