This has to be the word most on my mind at the moment.
RESILIENT.
It is a quality that I see in the people that I admire most. The ones that have been through the storms, beaten down and crapped on by life – yet they are still standing. Maybe a bit battered, dusty and bruised – but still standing none-the-less.
When you work in the fitness industry, you see all types of people. Regular folks who enjoy staying active and make the gym part of their every day life, shy overweight folks wanting to embark on a life-changing transformation, young guys and girls wanting to look hot for summer…..and then there are the bodybuilding competitors.
If ever there was a sport to challenge someone’s character, this would have to be it. Throw in a mix of intense competitiveness, HUGE egos, a preparation season that can last months leading up to a few minutes in front of the judges, daily crushing training sessions and a strict diet on top of things – and you have the perfect pressure situation for either crushing gravel or creating a diamond.
What I have witnessed over the years as one of the MOST defining traits of those competitors who get up on stage again and again – regardless of injuries, unfair judging, relationship breakdowns, job losses …or whatever storms come…..is their RESILIENCE.
The ones that succeed are those who have learned to bend with the wind but not break. They have had open minds that listened when there was advice given, taken on board what was positive and not been devastated by the negative. They have worked around injuries and sickness instead of throwing in the towel at the first hurdle. They don’t have a breakdown when their routine of training and eating is disturbed, but instead get straight back on track.
In short, they weather the storms, keeping their eyes firmly ahead on their goal – to present their very best on the stage.
To be honest, I think that any successful midlifer must have a good dose of resilience running in their blood stream too, and let me define my concept of “successful” for you before we go any further here.
To me – someone who is “successful” is someone who knows how to love, how to think of others, who can take care of themselves, who is effective and fulfilled in their place of work.
It’s not about how high up the ladder you have climbed, but WHO you have become.
Get it?
To have made it this far through life and still be standing is to be applauded. To be still loving others and making a difference when you have loved, lost, been hurt and battled things through life shows that you are indeed resilient – and what’s more, that resilient spirit that has gotten you this far, will see you right through the seasons to come.
You will be able to bend and not break when times are tough, and ultimately you WILL reach that goal that YOU are aiming for as nothing will be able to stop you.
