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Resilience is frequently defined as our ability to bounce back from hardship like rubber bands that pop back to our original shape after being stretched. Likewise, most solutions imply that inspirational quotes, hand-holding, and large doses of sympathy will help us work our way back to some form of our old self.
This attitude trivializes our hardships and asks us to pretend nothing has changed. Our ability to become more resilient requires more than narcissistic fluff, which is a bit like pouring gasoline on a bonfire until the entire backyard is in flames.
The typical solutions for developing resilience don’t promote emotional stability or encourage us to strengthen our backbone. Instead, they offer empty platitudes and have as much punch as a bandage on cancer because they pretend that the world hasn’t really shifted beneath our feet. We’ll get through it with no scorch marks if we bury our heads long enough.
Resilience requires us to bounce through the refining fire of adversity.
Is it fun? Never!
Is it worth it? Always!
Pure iron is not commonly used in industry because it is relatively weak and corrodes quickly. Engineers understand that a stressor like fire changes its composition. Add another stressor like a…
