Strength is rooted in resilience, which indicates the capacity to recover from difficulties. The metaphor is the stretching of a rubber band – if ‘healthy,’ it naturally and quickly resumes its initial shape after being strained. While recovery times are as unique as the individual, you were created not only be able to return to homeostasis, but to be BETTER than before. But how?
Here is how to feel STRONG when circumstances stretch you past your comfort zone.
S: Stillness: Before moving into any actions of recovery, initial stillness is the best way to cultivate future momentum. Take some time to just BE. Sit with your emotions and feel them. This is your opportunity to practice compassion for yourself and accept that you are feeling exactly what you are supposed to feel. No judgment, only acceptance of the self.
Fear and pain are usually relics of old experiences and narratives. Once you have gotten conscious about seeing the ‘why’ in your stress, you are building clarity. This means reclaiming your power and moving away from the confusion of stress. You can now turn this into an opportunity for growth and increased self-awareness, which is the pathway to resilience.
T: Trust the journey, the lesson and yourself: Remember, you are always exactly where you are supposed to be. Whatever the present challenge is in your life, it arrived to help you grow closer to your highest potential. Practice letting go of regret, shame and guilt and shifting to a place of acceptance and trust in yourself.
Trust that you are being guided from a higher place and lean on your past resilience. Reflect on times that you have risen above adversity, then turn to those tools that have worked positively for you in the past. If you need help, ask for it. Trust that you will find the right people and answers that will bring you to a place of greater well-being and happiness.
R: Refuse to be a victim: Understanding this mindset can completely change your life. If you are sitting in the victim role, you are blaming others, using the language of negativity and ruminating over how the world must be out to get you. Thus, you are predicting your future as a victim. Things will not change until you decide that you are going to take responsibility for how your life proceeds, no matter the circumstances around you.
You were meant to be happy, free and empowered! Yes, days can be tough, but you have every single decision over your disposition. Refuse to hold onto the negative thinking and decide to start using positive thoughts and language when talking about your life. THIS is your real power.
O: Onward! Time to turn your gaze away from the rearview mirror and toward the road ahead. Change, growth and opportunities are not going to be found sifting through yesterday’s garbage. Your gifts are in the rainbow waiting on the horizon.
Start taking action steps that move you toward what you truly desire. When the impulse comes to make a call, finish a waiting task or reach out to a new contact, do it. Trust that all will be given to you at the perfect time and that everything is going to work out for you.
Stop giving power to doubt and confusion by speaking about them. Say to yourself “This is going to be fluid, easy, and fun,” and watch the path light up in front of you.
N: New YOU: Decide that your new strength is the new part of you. Envision yourself shedding old skin and regaining a stronger covering than before. See your energy body expand, your mental mind raise up and your heart’s presence grow. Stand proud as you walk and see a beautiful aura emanating out of you as you go. Be assured that others will feel it around you!
Find words that resonate with the new you: Goddess, Warrior, King of the World, Survivor, Bad-ass. Claim it! Feel fun, creative excitement about your new flow. New YOU means new experiences on the road ahead.
G: Gratitude: Every time you think about it, express appreciation. Use language that is decorated with words like “grateful, glad, inspired, lucky, blessed and excited.’
Thank those around you who have helped you find your light. Thank your Higher Power for the guidance and love that you are always receiving. Thank your past for the lessons that have helped you grow and learn how to appreciate life. Thank yourself for the work that you have done and the commitment you have made to grow. Feel strong, see yourself as resilient and just keep growing.