Regardless of what career you choose to pursue, one essential trait is that of resilience. It can help you achieve great things in your chosen field. Yet, that begs the question of what it means to be resilient.
The Obstacles to Resilience
In understanding resilience, it’s especially helpful to get a grasp on the traits that challenge your ability to be resilient. Most commonly, fear is the greatest enemy to resilience, because it can paralyze us in the face of adversity. Under normal circumstances, fear can work for us, helping us to confront adversity and solve problems effectively. However, when fear overwhelms us, it can paralyze us and prevent us from facing the problem altogether.
It’s impossible to be resilient and obtain any degree of mental strength, when you let fear rule your actions. We’re supposed to use our fear to our own advantage, but there’s a point at which fear begins to control us, instead. Once you begin feeling that shift, it’s important to regain control of the situation. If you let the fear keep you from acting, you’ll lose your resilience and your life will suffer for it.
We have seen this process in action. For instance, Eastman Kodak blamed the digital camera for forcing it to file bankruptcy in 2012, but, instead of falling to this innovation, they might have profited by it. One of their own engineers invented the digital camera in 1975, but the company’s management feared the effect it would have on their traditional film and photography business. As a result, a competitor developed and marketed the technology, robbing Eastman Kodak of that success.
The Answer to Being Resilient
The answer is obvious, though difficult to implement in practical situations. Instead of letting fear get a strong hold on you, use it to make a leap of faith. Those who take chances in life are the ones who succeed. Conversely, if you’re not willing to take risks in the face of fearing failure, you will never have the opportunity to succeed.
People who are considered resilient are often viewed as being fearless, but that isn’t an accurate assessment. They feel fear just like the rest of us. Instead of letting it control them, they let it motivate them. They accept the risks, knowing they might fail, and try to succeed. Only by taking that leap can you have the chance to succeed. Otherwise, you’re just treading water, waiting for another to succeed in your place.