I was recently asked about building resilience, and while there are countless books on the subject, I want to focus on one key factor that has helped me personally. But before diving into that, let’s first define resilience it’s the ability to cope with stress, adversity, and challenges.
But how do you actually strengthen this ability? Can someone who has never faced hardship truly understand what resilience is?
For me, the biggest contributor to resilience has been having a clear sense of purpose. Closely tied to that is self-awareness. When I talk about purpose, I don’t mean a career, a good education, or financial success though material things have their place. I’m referring to something deeper on an emotional level: understanding what gives your life meaning.
It could be meaningful personal relationships that uplift you, a sense of contribution through helping others, or even something as simple as a hobby anything that resonates with you and brings a sense of purpose to your life.
Your sense of purpose should always align with your values, as this keeps you grounded.
Building resilience requires self-reflection and intentional action, but once you have it, it provides direction, motivation, and the strength to navigate life’s challenges.