About Resilience

Resilience is not perfection, nor a life free from correction. It is about learning to recover from a fall, how to react with patience, peace and determination, not gall.

An American president on which much is written – and for good reason – is Theodore Roosevelt, model of resilience, loving father, heroic soldier, writer, governor, assistant secretary of the Navy, Vice President, Commander-in-Chief.

In his 37 books, one theme recurs. Resilience. To TR, this was rising when knocked down, finding strength of heart and mind to persevere when the world tries to defeat you, accepting risk, never quitting, learning from failure – to prevail.

My evenings include reading his essays, longer volumes, many speeches and tales of adventure, all well written. Among quotes that stirred me, even now, are these:

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” How often do we put off what we should not, choose not to try? If not now, when? And why not I?

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” How often do we say, “later” or “maybe” or “when time will allow”? Maybe the time … is now.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” This mantra serves soldiers, all those with fire. As Colin Powell once told us: “Confidence is a force multiplier.”

“When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.” In short, “never, never give up,” as Winston Churchill once said. The British Prime Minister defined “success” as “going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” There is the handiest advice for all life. Take the risk, resolve, get up and do it.

We must accept risk with joy, knowing the challenge we accept may or may not lead to success but we win by trying, choosing to reach, to live, learn and teach.

Forty years after Theodore Roosevelt died, another American idealist stepped into his shoes, first running his brother’s (successful) presidential campaign, then – in the shattering aftermath of his brother’s dying, himself trying.

Robert F. Kennedy wrote: “Only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly.” If that did not capture his life purpose, applying idealism forward, nothing does. He did that, turned intention into action, did as his heart willed, until killed.

That fact brings me back to earth, to what we do for purpose, peace, and mirth; we carry on. Albert Camus wrote: “Sometimes carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement.” For some – or for all at some time – that is resilience.

In closing – my mind turns to the awesome power we all have, to rebound. We grow by deciding to. Marcus Aurelius come to mind. “When you carry a burden, you should know … it is good for you to have it.”  

Resilience begins with gratitude for the fall, a chance to recover, to rediscover, to trade anger and the curse for a key – the chance to grow from adversity.