Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient. ~Steve Maraboli

Resilience, the ability to recover quickly from adversity, is a skill that proves its worth throughout our lives. The characteristics of this personal toughness include:

• They practice mindfulness and purposefully pay attention to their life
• They possess a solid self esteem
• Recognizing that this too shall pass
• Use past successes to confront current challenges
• Not comparing themselves to others
• Realizing setbacks and adversity are stepping stones to transformation
• Finding humor in every situation
• They relinquish control

Harnessing the capacity to recover from difficult times is critical for healthy childhood development but this characteristic is often needed most as we enter midlife. During this time, life can serve up innumerable stressors: divorce, loss of a parent, financial concerns, illness, or obstacles in our careers.

Thankfully, with the perspective gained from life experience as well as the ability to better manage emotions, those in their middle years possess characteristics and behaviors that may allow resiliency to be more easily developed. Read more