Be Resilient - Finding Purpose For Your Comeback

Life can bring a series of missteps, turbulence, miseries or chaotic times. But it can be all-good.

Sometimes there’s a reason for these dynamics, tied to our purpose. And we may discover it later on our journey—when the lessons return to renew, correct and remind.

"A life without cause is a life without effect."

~ Barbarella, from the 1960’s science fiction film

A frequent expression I remember my grandmother using when she couldn't recall a particular word or way of doing something right at that particular moment was, "Don't worry, it'll come back to me." She knew what she needed to say or do for that situation, but the know-how had temporarily left her thoughts.

For my grandmother Pearl, a woman with a fourth grade education, this information was rooted in generational pass-downs that helped her make a way out of no way. And return it would, for my grandmother’s leadership purpose as wife and family matriarch sent out her search beams to be correct just in time.

Wikipedia defines resilience as “a capacity to anticipate disruptions, adapt to events, and create lasting value." This definition is applicable to individuals, families, organizations or society. And the more purposeful our focus is, in spite of the situation, the better the potential for a valuable comeback.

For example, members of the military find purpose in ‘supporting and defending’ this country. However, service comes with a cost. The experience of combat, where the outcomes could go a variety of ways, is the ultimate price.

For those service members who return, recovering from this intense and ugly scene can be difficult. Trying to get back on their life track, along with their families, takes time. A return to a new normal is not always easy. The military leadership recognizes this need and has setup resiliency centers to help the transition to coming back.

Communities in crisis have done the same, reigniting purpose after violence and upheaval have disrupted the fabric of citizen’s lives, such as in the Newtown Connecticut Sandy Hook school shooting.

Some of the parents have now become first responders to support the families in other locales experiencing this tragedy of the spirit. Misery redirected to rebound from a setback. A role for leadership is to recognize and step in on this issue of resilience.

“So we follow our wandering paths, and the very darkness acts as our guide and our doubts serve to reassure us,” stated by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, a 17^th century French Jesuit priest, a message on effect, purpose and cause. Leaders to can find answers in rebounding from mistakes to triumph!

Our various journeys require us to start, pause, stop, redirect and restart. Very few of us remain on the same trail indefinitely. Focus, determination, spirit, will, belief—all keep us coming back strong.

The ability to go from zero to fifty miles an hour, from despair to delight is what it means to be resilient. As a nine year cancer survivor, this concept too has been a critical a part of finding cause in my existence.

So remember, the route is clear for your comeback after all of the setbacks.

Excerpted from my motivational autobiography, Navigating Life’s Roadways: Stories Of Insight from My Odyssey & Inspiration for Your Journey, available in print and Kindle eBook.