The Benefits Of Having Courage
And Resiliency As We Age
One constant in life is change. We either courageously adapt or get beaten down. Resilience is defined as an individual’s ability to successfully adapt to life tasks in the face of adverse conditions. Adversity and invitations to become stressed come at us daily in many opportunities: family or relationship problems, health issues, workplace and financial worries, the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job, retirement, aging bodies, serious illness, empty nest, care of grandchildren or aging parents, traumatic events that always seem to be all over the news. This is not even a complete list of the challenging experiences that we face every day just being human. Many people react to such circumstances with a flood of strong emotions and a sense of uncertainty that can produce stress, anxiety and/or depression, and take a very negative toll on our mental and physical health, as well as our personal and professional life.
Some people seem to be able to adapt well as they age to life-changing situations and stressful conditions. What enables them to do so? Resilience. It is the ability to bounce back from the negative experiences of daily living, with “competent functioning”, and maybe even some joy and optimism. Resilience is not a rare ability; in fact, we all have the ability to develop this “muscle”. Resiliency can be found in the average individual and can be learned and developed by virtually anyone.
Through presentations, and in my individual work with clients, I help identify the steps necessary to create your own road to resilience, enabling you to achieve any goals you set for yourself to live a happier and healthier life.
Jane White Schneeweis, M.A.
janeschneeweis.com 