#2 Qualities of resilient people

There are many theories, research findings, and different views on what makes people resilient. Attempting to list them all can feel a bit like browsing through a never-ending online shopping catalog, with a long array of character traits and skills to choose from. It's so long that it risks losing its practicality in the process. So, let's aim for something a tad more concise, shall we?

According to the wise words of Diane Coutu, resilient people possess three essential qualities:

• they firmly accept the way things are,

• they strongly believe that life has a purpose, often supported by their deeply held values,

• they're really good at coming up with solutions on the spot.

And if I may sneak in a fourth quality, it's all about being prepared, arming yourself with the right skills for the challenges ahead. After all, overcoming professional hurdles requires more than just the ability to brew a decent cup of coffee (though that helps too). It's also about keeping your body and mind in tip-top shape, ready to rumble for your dreams.

In a nutshell, resilient people accept reality, even when it's tough. They believe that life has meaning, even when it's hard to see. They can improvise and find new ways to move forward, even when things don't go according to plan, and they are preparing themselves for facing headwinds.

Picture: I tried to generate image using imagine.art, which would sum it up nicely together. Not sure the attached picture does it, but I like the man on the bottom left.

Sources: Harvard Business Review, Goleman D., Sonnenfeld J.A., Achor S. - Resilience (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series), Harvard Business Review Press, Boston, 2017.