Feeling Stronger Every Day
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
When it comes to this week’s topic, finding strength amidst adversity, it’s not hard to find lots of inspirational quotes. In addition to the one from Nelson Mandela above, here are a few of my favorites.
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” ~ C.S. Lewis
“All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” ~ Helen Keller
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” ~ Louisa May Alcott
It’s a common topic in lots of song lyrics, too: “I get knocked down, but I get up again.” “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” “Feeling stronger every day.”
As caregivers, we know what it means to get knocked down and get back up again. We face challenges and obstacles every day. The key is how we choose to respond to them. Rather than letting ourselves become overwhelmed or defeated by adversities, we can embrace them as pivotal moments for personal growth. We can use them to clarify our goals, strengthen our resolve, and deepen our self-awareness. We can choose to rise above them, gaining new strength, knowledge, and confidence to help us continue on our journey.
Yet, while all this makes complete sense, it can be difficult to remember when we’re in the midst of a crisis. That’s why having a growth mindset is so important. Shifting our mindset helps us reframe our challenges into opportunities to build resilience, learn new skills, and uncover strengths we didn’t realize we had.
For help cultivating a growth mindset and finding strength amidst adversity, try these three tools:
KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Positive thoughts and affirmations can go a long way toward giving you the confidence to change and persevere. Ask yourself, “Is this a problem or an inconvenience?” Then proceed accordingly.
REMEMBER YOUR STRENGTHS & SUCCESSES: What is your signature STRENGTH? Think of it as a resilience superpower! Recognizing your past successes can help you in the present. Remember, you have survived other crises and calamities. What did you do in the past that could be helpful now?
MAKE PEACE WITH THE SITUATION: Realize what you can and can’t control, and let go of anything you can’t impact. Acceptance can bring relief. “FEAR” can stand for either “Forget Everything And RUN” or “Face Everything And RISE”!
While we cannot always control the circumstances that arise, we have complete control over how we face them. Seeing adversity as something to learn from rather than something to fear can make all the difference when YOU gain strength from your next challenge.