By: Tatiana Alcivar Translated by Taisa Strouse)
Adversities are part of life, we are not exempt from them, we are not strangers to suffering, and many times, this becomes a learning channel, sometimes much more direct than happiness itself; Therefore, speaking, accepting, embracing and overcoming what happens to us in misfortune is vital so that the experience helps in the future.
Many times we feel irremediably down, without knowing why, without understanding the cause. Sometimes, we get knocked down by circumstances that we don’t fully understand. The pain is not always reasonable, and what comes to mind is the word, injustice, we do not believe we deserve what happens to us in some negative moments.
Sadness can knock on our door. Occasionally, when it does, it may settle in uninvited and become an bothersome companion.
It is in these periods that everything seems to go wrong, in which we see everything gray and we do not see the light at the end of the tunnel, so we can get discouraged and even depressed.
For many people, life is beautiful, while for others it turns out to be a bitter pill to swallow, because sorrows come and go unexpectedly.
Change
From those complaints and frustrations we can be pushed into passivity in the face of the misfortunes that we’ve had to experience. Once we stop being a victim of that pain and tragedy, a word little known by most appears: RESILIENCE.
There are people capable of overcoming trauma and devastating situations while others stay trapped in those circumstances.
Resilience is the ability to adapt to tragedies, severe stress, trauma, or threats. It is the conviction that people have to emerge stronger from those situations in which practically everything is against them.
Generally, thanks to perseverance and trust, model behavior can emerge in an uncertain situation with a highly positive result. This is demonstrated by events that have occurred in the history of humanity. Viktor Emil Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived the Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps, described in his essays how, in the most extreme conditions, human beings finds a reason to live.
LET'S GO DOWN THE RIVER
Think of resilience as similar to taking a raft trip down a river. In a river, where you can find rapids, detours, rocks, whirlpools, slow moving water and shallow areas; As in life, the changes you experience along the way directly affect your journey.
Traveling downstream will help you to recognize and remember the past experiences you’ve had on the river. Your journey should be guided by a plan, a strategy you think will work well for you. Perseverance and confidence are your ability to avoid rocks and other obstacles, you can gain courage and insight by successfully navigating the rough waters.
The people you trust and who accompany you on the journey can especially help you face all the inconveniences and difficulties that arise.
You can get off the raft and rest on the shore. However, to finish yout journey you must get back on the raft and continue on.
Do not forget: you are not born resilient, you work at it!
“Pearls of Inspiration” are insights and topics that arise from our Ecuadorian neighborhood dialogue circles that are taking place, virtually through
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