Why would I title this post with a quote from Yukon Cornelius in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer??? Well, I am a particularly clumsy person…and since my chronic illness that has just gotten worse. When we were dating many decades ago, my now husband used to say that when I was being particularlly accident prone. Now I think of it as a silly statement that celebrates my resilience in dealling with life with a chronic illness.
re·sil·ience
/rəˈzilēəns/
the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness; to bounce back into shape
Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences. Chronic illness fits that definition for sure. It is definately difficult and challenging.
When I am having a good day, I can take on the day with a fair amount of gusto. However, the days when I am feeling off, exhausted, ill or I am in a flare, gusto can feel a million miles away and unachievable.
I am learning that even when the flare is horrible – well, Bumbles Bounce back. For those with chronic conditions, learning how to navigate the downs, deciding which strategy to apply to recover or to complete the task before me. I am learning when to rest and when to ask for help. Being resilient doesn’t mean you don’t experience the bad times…it means you use your strength, courage, and even defiance in choosing to stand up again after being knocked down. We cannot be fearful of falling down…it will happen. When you live with a chronic condition each day (heck sometimes each hour) is different. You are up , you are holding steady, or you are down (sometimes waaaaaaay down).
You must remember that you have, to this point, beaten every down time and come through it. There is no reason to think today or tomorrow will be different.
“Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
Japanese Proverb
We all face trauma, adversity, and other stresses whether we are chronically ill or not. Resiliency is important for everyone, and it can be learned! Adapting to life-changing situations and coming out the other side stronger and smarter is a vital thing to know. Resilience not only involves “bouncing back”, but also growing and learning from the experience. These difficult events in life do not define us or determine the outcome of your life. Instead, resilience teaches you how to navigate through these events more and more successfully.
Becoming more resilient takes time, effort, and intention. Accepting that change is a part of life and that not all change is good or bad – it is just different. Visualize what you want with hope and optimism rather than worrying about what you are facing with fear and resentment.
You may not be able to control some aspects of your journey, but there are many things that you ARE in control of. Focusing on those things you can control, learning from what did and did not work before, and maintaining a positive outlook/response will help you become more and more resiliant.
