Author: Sara Ross
What’s on your resilience resume? For most people in North America, this week marks the first anniversary of the pandemic changing our lives. It started with disbelief, upheaval, and constant change and progressed to the monotony of sameness. Regardless of the phase, there has been a consistent undertone of uncertainty as to what comes next. […]
What’s on your resilience resume? For most people in North America, this week marks the first anniversary of the pandemic changing our lives. It started with disbelief, upheaval, and constant change and progressed to the monotony of sameness. Regardless of the phase, there has been a consistent undertone of uncertainty as to what comes next. It’s been a lot.
And still, we’ve shown a tremendous amount of resilience.
Yet, my guess is that few of you fall into bed at night thinking, “Wow! Was I ever resilient today.”
Tired – yes. Frustrated – yes. Anxious – often, but in the moment, rarely do we FEEL resilient.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter of the Harvard Business School eloquently frames our in-the-moment perspective by saying, “the middle of success often looks like failure.”
It’s only when we reflect back on our struggles can we recognize our resilience through those struggles.
While it’s true that some people respond more resiliently in the moment. Some have stayed more hopeful, positive, and adaptable. For various reasons, many beyond one’s control, it has been easier for some than others.
But that’s the beauty of resilience. Even if you didn’t respond the way you wanted, you can still choose to learn from that moment in reflection back. Learn from your responses.
You can seek out learning in adversity, appreciation through adversity, meaning through grief, and strength through struggle.
The instant you decided to let adversity strengthen you by choosing to use it as a stepping-stone forward instead of an obstacle holding you back. By choosing to see it as a set-up for the future versus a set-back from success, you become more resilient for the next set of challenges that will inevitably come your way.
When you apply for a job, your resume serves as a representation of your accomplishments – your proof that you can not only handle the job but succeed in it.
As you enter the weekend on the first anniversary of a life-altering global pandemic, take 30 min and reflect. Write your Resilience Resume. As a team, write a team version. Allow your struggles to unite you.
Keep it close and refer to it often. Enough is happening in the world to make you question yourself, so use it to build your positive proof that whatever happens, you can handle it.
Personally, I’m not going to shout out to the universe, “give me what’ve you got, world!”…because honestly, I have enough to handle right now.
However, the next time I feel as if life is running me over. That my circumstances are leaving me bruised and battered, I’m going to look at my resilience, no – scratch that, My WARRIOR resume to remind myself how damn strong, adaptable, brave, and resilient I am.
What’s the first thing you’ll put on yours?
Article written by: Sara Ross, a Keynote Speaker and the Chief Vitality Officer at BrainAMPED, the leadership research and coaching firm she founded to help organizations and their people build their Leadership Vitality to transform the way they succeed at work and thrive in life.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Top Motivational Speakers South Africa in 2023 who are Inspiring Voices: The Best 5 Motivational Speakers in South Africa Motivation plays a crucial role in personal and professional development, and there is no shortage of inspirational figures in South Africa who have made a significant impact on the lives of many. In this article, we […]
How do you motivate yourselves and others in a brand new year when you are out of oomph. Many business leaders are entering 2021 feeling rather hesitant, concerned and uncertain. 2020 was challenging in many ways and I believe that many business owners and managers had the fight of their lives to keep their businesses […]
The role of Leadership in a crisis, Leading through and out of a crisis is not easy. The uncertainty a crisis brings can leave people feeling disorientated, overwhelmed and unable to act. Intentional leadership is key in these times and those leaders who are able to slow down, step back and challenge their perspectives and exercise […]
Do you remember THE BAIT SWITCH DOES NOT WORK and the first time you were disappointed by a large organisation? My earliest memory of corporate greed (we all have those, right?) was what I recall being a few months after Smarties Mini Eggs were launched in South Africa. As a lifelong fan of the traditional […]
The Dos and Don’ts of Handling Courageous Conversations at work or in your personal life that needs to happen that you keep putting off? We all face difficult conversations that need to be handled, but we all dread them. We can call these ‘Courageous Conversations’ because they oftentimes require so much courage to handle. In […]
We’ve recently been on an investment drive to raise massive capital for our product, Lohocla and the number we are gunning for is rather massive relative to what we were thinking years ago and as such we Earn Your Stripes, The funny thing is that the people we are contacting today are the very same […]
What do you do if you hate your job? You have three options: you can stay and suffer, you can look for a new job, or you can change the way you view your work. The best choice is to focus on yourself and what makes you happy. This way, even if you’re still at […]
The best way to predict the future is by Creating a Personal Strategy A powerful quote! Do you know that Abraham Lincoln considered even himself a failure for the most parts of his life? He failed far more than he ever succeeded in life, yet most people remember and reference his success rather than his failures. […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
