Exciting times – the book is ready! Mrs K Begins Again. A story of resilience is the first book of the mindfulness-themed series. Many lessons have been learnt since the book was written, oh many. One of the most crucial ones, that continues to increase in its importance, is that of resilience. How so? Raise your hand if you haven’t made a mistake. Raise your hand if you haven’t been refused what you asked for. Raise your hand if you haven’t been criticised or if you haven’t experienced self-doubt. I don’t think I would see many hands at all, if I could!
There is much we are taught at school and university. We leave armed with facts, sometimes skills, if we’re lucky we leave with broadened horizons. The one skill that isn’t often taught is how to deal with disappointment, with things not working out, with our own mistakes and hurdles beyond our control.
A quote by Theodore Roosevelt, which I heard thanks to Brene Brown’s amazing work, seems well suited here. Delivered in 1910 in Paris it is as relevant in 2017.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause…”
Stumbling, learning, not-knowing, erring, achieving goals, fulfilling dreams – one scarier than the next. The biggest lesson of all seems to be to keep going despite the discomfort, to never stop because of it. Perhaps that’s what resilience is. I guess we can ask Mrs K;)
