Resilience is grit. It means strength, power, and growth. Being resilient is is one of the key traits needed to advance in the world!
So, do you have what it takes to become resilient? Or are you already someone who bears that grit and ability? Here are eight signs you’re a highly resilient person.
1. You Are Self-Aware
You cannot be resilient if you aren’t self-aware. Without self-awareness, resilience fades into plain stubbornness, which is unproductive and can halt your progress or stop you from moving forward. This is because resilience achieves these ends:
- Coping with problems healthily, which you cannot do if you are not aware of what works best for you
- Involves understanding your skills, flaws, emotions, thoughts, and perspectives
- Requires that you are aware of your actions, choices, and behaviors, as well as the effects of those decisions
- It means being able to correct yourself when you make mistakes, which cannot be done if you’re not aware of those mistakes in the first place
- Long-term, so it cannot rely on the “ignorance is bliss” concept that is only workable in the short term
Essentially, self-awareness can help you realize what you need, what can be worked on, what can be changed, and when it’s time to seek additional assistance. If you don’t know yourself or the world around you, you can’t possibly be strong against it in a truly healthy way.
2. You Aren’t Ashamed Of Your Flaws and Weaknesses
Being resilient doesn’t mean that you don’t have flaws or setbacks. It just means that you’re brave enough to confront them. While flaunting or shrugging at your weaknesses isn’t productive, not being afraid to own up to what you lack is a powerful move. It shows that you’re willing to show difficult parts of yourself to address your flaws.
If you don’t want to stare at your weaknesses in the face and understand them for what they are, you can’t learn or grow. This would be a significant hindrance to your momentum. So if you’re not ashamed of talking about and addressing your weaknesses, go you! Here are some signs that you’re resilient enough to own up to your flaws:
· You Don’t Try To Hide Your Flaws
Trying to hide weaknesses is a huge waste of time, effort, and energy, and it distracts from all the time you could be spending on improving those weaknesses. Be open about your flaws and be willing to tell others that you’re working through them. You can even ask for help!
· You Hold Yourself Accountable
It’s easy to shift responsibility for problems onto others. If you have no problem holding yourself responsible and accepting blame for your mistakes, you’re not ashamed of your flaws and are resilient!
· You Can Take Constructive Criticism
The perspectives of others are a big asset in your personal journey. They can show you things you didn’t think about or realize and provide alternative ideas and opinions. Constructive criticism is, therefore, immeasurably valuable. Ignoring trolls who only spew insults is fine and good for you. But ignoring genuine feedback presented with kindness is a mistake!
· You’ve Accepted Your Past
Everyone has their share of baggage, but you have to come to terms with it to be resilient. Understanding how the past has shaped you without letting it weigh you down or define you is a powerful sign that you accept even the ugliest parts of what makes you who you are.
3. You Can Find Humor In Tough Times
You can’t avoid the reality that not everything in life will be good. Sometimes, it’s going to be so, so bad that it even borders on the absurd. Being able to find humor in these types of times could be key to you getting through them. So if you tend to laugh and crack jokes in the face of difficulty, you’re likely more resilient to the negativity those times come with.
Studies have actually shown that laughter truly can be the best medicine. Making jokes – as long as you’re not ignoring reality altogether – can help you maintain better positive thinking, especially when you’re going through a situation that is incredibly taxing.
4. You Have Good Boundaries
Resilient people often have a good social support system. In some cases, they indeed got good luck, but in many, the fact is that resilient people are likely to attract those who will love, care for, and support them in healthy and positive ways.
This is partly due to resilient people’s ability to enforce reasonable boundaries. If you’re someone who can maintain healthy communication and great relationships with those around you without feeling burned out, overextending, or expecting your companions to overextend for you, you’re probably pretty resilient!
Other boundaries that resilient people are aware of are boundaries in logic versus emotion and perception versus reality. Can you determine the difference between what you feel and what you should do? Are you able to see where certain behaviors of yours stem from without excusing their negativity? You might be a resilient individual!
5. You Are Comfortable With Uncertainty
Nothing in life is certain. The way of the universe is such that sometimes, things will happen out of the left field. Best-laid plans fall apart. You’re probably pretty resilient if you keep your positive thinking through it all. Here are some additional signs in this vein of your resilience by accepting the world’s natural chaos!
· You’re Okay With The Unpredictable
A resilient person knows that there’s no way to prepare for everything coming in life. They don’t hold on too hard to one single plan, knowing that things may shift without their expectation.
· You Know That Change Is Inevitable
Nothing is constant. Everything changes. It’s a difficult and even uncomfortable fact, but it’s one that must be accepted. If you’re resilient, you don’t try too hard to keep things the same and embrace shifts in your world.
· You Are Adaptable
With all the constant change, you have to be adaptable and flexible to be resilient. You know how to navigate the tides of change and understand the necessity of going with the flow instead of resisting.
· You Can Release Control
People who feel the need to always be in control will be hit hardest when those unpredictable changes come around. If you’re resilient, you’re likely comfortable with releasing and letting go of the need for control. Ironically, the more you try to control something, the less you’ll feel in control.
6. You Look For The Positive In Hard Lessons
You can’t know everything from the start, and sadly, some lessons are ones you’ll learn the hard way. For many people, lessons like these are enough to make them slump over and want to give up due to the pain that may come with those events.
It’s entirely reasonable for feel down when you’ve had to learn a painful lesson, but if you’re resilient, then you’ll also do what you can to find the positive silver linings in your dark clouds. You’re looking through the tough times and lifting the veil to find the hidden golden teachings – and that’s resilience at its finest!
Research indicates that those who try and experience as many positive emotions as possible are often much more resilient and bear many other great traits that help them overcome hurdles. You might feel bad at first, but if you don’t dwell on that negativity and if you try to move on quickly and make new plans with newly acquired learning, congratulations! You’re a resilient person!
7. You Have A Wider Perspective and Vision
Those who are resilient don’t have time to be narrow-minded. The world is wide and complex, and they know they have to broaden their horizons to give it the understanding it needs. You’re probably resilient if you’ve got a wide perspective for yourself and the universe beyond just you! Here are some additional signs that indicate this:
· Your Vision Is Clear
You have an idea of the future you want, and you know the steps you may have to take to get there. You don’t stress over individual moments. Knowing each step brings you closer to where you want to be.
· You Keep Yourself Inspired
You like to find new and alternative ways of viewing the world and always seek new ideas and thoughts from people around you. It keeps you inspired to move forward.
· Your Eyes Are On The Big Picture
You don’t obsess over tiny details. You like looking at the wider world and the big picture above small little notes. Best yet, you believe in greater possibilities and notice all sorts of wonderful things in the future.
8. You Have Good Self-Esteem
Many people struggle with insecurities and self-esteem issues. If you’re someone who does their best to build their confidence in themselves and maintain a positive self-image, then the good news is you’re resilient!
Positive self-esteem has been linked in studies to higher resilience and life satisfaction. Of course, it’s easier said than done; self-esteem doesn’t happen overnight. Here are some signs that your self-esteem is improving or is doing well!
· Achievements Don’t Define You
Some people feel like they fail when they don’t achieve their goals or have trouble reaching success, which often works against them and dampens their chances to begin with. Failure, or even a lack of progress, will not deplete your feelings of self-worth if you don’t allow yourself to be defined by what you’ve achieved. This is a sign of strong and stable self-esteem, as your self-worth comes from within, not external sources.
· You Don’t Play Games Of Comparison
Someone who lacks self-esteem may try to define their standing in society via comparison against others. This isn’t a great way to live your life, as each individual is going through their own unique journey and story. It’s unfair to start trying to compare everyone, and you should feel confident and comfortable in yourself without being obviously “better” than others.
· You Can Generally Say You’re Happy With Who You Are
While you should always seek to learn, grow, and improve, you should also like yourself. A resilient person with good self-esteem focuses on their good side and uses those strengths to their advantage. They don’t feel like they’re missing anything, and if you feel content in your identity, you have good self-esteem!
Final Thoughts On Some Signs You’re A Highly Resilient Person
Without resilience, you can’t move forward in life towards your goals. If you don’t think you bear any of these signs that you’re a highly resilient person, don’t fret! You can build resilience over time, just like with any other trait.
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