The famous last words from a best friend's ex-boyfriend after breaking up with her. Not exactly what you want to hear, right? It certainly didn't make the situation easier. But she cried for a few days, ate a carton of ice cream and went on her way. She's now in a happy relationship with an engineer she'll probably marry.
Life's greatest lesson of all is this -- amongst those topsy turvy turns and unexpected changes is a new day. Everyday.
Instead of getting antsy and irrational -- get creative. An unexpected blessing of this downturned economy is the push it gave those out there that were coasting. A sense of discomfort in relation to jobs or life leads many to one of two options: stressed, panicked and shut-down or inspired, energized and optimistic. Perhaps elements of both. Generally, however; personality traits dictate where one will stand.
Resiliency = the ability to "bounce back".
Let's test your resiliency. This test comes from Awakenings, found at http://lessonsforliving.com/index.htm.
First, get a clean sheet of paper. Number the right side 1-20. Next, list 20 things you would like to do. Anything from taking your dog for a walk to changing the world.
Simple enough, yes? Maybe not. You may have trouble coming up with 20 items, according to Awakenings. I'll keep you posted. I'm about to make my list.
Let your list sit for a week. When you check back in, put a W next to the things you did the prior week. If you hit 75 percent, you probably had a fantastic week. Did you really go sky-diving? Nice! Maybe you met 50 percent of your to-do list. Good. Anything under 50 percent means you might want to wake-up and get proactive.
Alright, time to evaluate your list again. Now go over it and mark a P by the activities that take more than 20 minutes to plan and prepare for. Are nearly all of them marked by a P? Maybe it's time to be spontaneous and simplify your life. Many enjoyable activities, like going for a walk or watching a romantic comedy, take a minute or less before you're on your way.
This evaluation measures what you set out to do and what you actually accomplish. Are you resilient? If you are, you'll make life necessities happen. And yes, painting your toenails is a necessity -- if that's what makes you happy at the end of the day.
There you go.
What do you do to boost your resiliency? Have you ever faced a significant challenge? What did you do to keep your spirits high and your optimism roaring full-speed ahead?
(PHOTO credit: http://denitza.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/creativity_504x428.jpg)
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