Michael F. Kay, Forbes contributor turned life lesson seeker, is on a quest to dissect the varying aspects of resilience, how to conjure it, and how to harness it. Manisha Thakor, Kay’s latest sage conquest, imparted her bountiful wisdom when asked a series of thought-provoking questions.
In Thakor’s expert opinion, resilience is one’s ability to confront the unexpected without shuddering with fear. It’s far easier to succumb to life’s unrelenting hardships than it is to see those changes through unscathed. When one can acknowledge, accept, and optimize situations that are rife with tribulation, they embody true resilience.
Unfortunately, humans don’t come embedded with a resilience chip. While resilience isn’t a visceral attribute, Thakor suggests that it can be a learned trait. A combination self-awareness, open-mindedness, and forward-thinking can, according to Thakor, build resilient predispositions.
Thakor then delves into the importance of channeling resilient tendencies. In essence, life doesn’t victimize a specific class, it doesn’t recognize superiority, and it certainly doesn’t play favorites. When life’s inevitable trials arrive with steadfast force, one must face them in a healthy, proactive manner. For these reasons, Thakor believes that manifesting resilience is of paramount importance.
While Thakor can recognize the significance of resilience, she admits that it’s not something that sprouts overnight. Only with unwavering patience, life lessons, and proactive steps is resilience acquired. What’s more, Thakor subscribes to the notion that acknowledging other people’s life experiences can expedite the process. When one remains present, attentive, and open to advice, they’re chances of embodying resilience increase tenfold.
Kay caps off the interview with a hard-hitting question: do women tend to be more resilient than men? Thakor’s heartfelt answer is indisputably influenced by personal experience. Thakor answers with a resounding yes, followed by eloquent reasons that cement her response. In short, women tend to be more resilient than men because women are more often faced with situations that demand resilience. Thakor touches on the undeniable patriarchy, the wage gap, insufficient female representation, and the lack of women in higher-up positions. She then briefly mentions how motherhood shapes resilience.
Thakor’s main takeaway is that no two people walk the same path of resilience, and it’s important that one pave their own avenue.