Resilience

We are living in an extraordinary time.

I’ve been spending more time than usual alone during our shelter-in-place quarantine. And, I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering about how this extraordinary historical event is going to affect us long term. I also have to admit I’m getting a little squirrely. At first, it seemed fine, staying home, making sure my team stayed at home. Having virtual meetings and all was kind of fun. But now, a full month into it, I admit, I’m feeling ready to get back to “normal.”

Resistance Is Futile

I realize, however, that “normal” may be something very different and we don’t know when that new normal will go into effect. I had to check my attitude as I realized I was beginning to experience resistance to the situation. I finally remembered the line from one of the Star Trek movies where the Borg said, “Resistance is futile.” It’s so true that refusing to accept what is happening is pointless. But that doesn’t mean you give up.

Resilience Is Required

I started fishing around for a word that would help me adjust my attitude and I’m sharing that word with you. It’s resilience. I like it because it is so close in sound to resistance, yet the meaning is so different.

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. It’s also the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.

While toughness is part of the definition, there is also a softness implied or rather a non-resistance. The whole world is in a position where refusing to accept what is happening is pointless. We all have to cooperate no matter how confined we feel. It truly is a matter of life and death.

And, because the COVID-19 virus is invisible (I read that it’s smaller than one one-hundreth the size of the width of a hair!), there’s really nothing to “resist”. There is only a way to cooperate and sanitize. Even if you have it you won’t know for up to two full weeks. So, resilience in compliance is necessary and required.

Bounce-Back-Ability

As I go about my day, I think about how I can apply resilience to helping my clients. I wonder how I will be able to apply the idea of bounce-back-ability when we are all back up and running our businesses again. I wonder if all of my clients will still be in business. I wonder if any of us will be able to resume our business in the same ways we did prior to COVID-19.

It’s funny how something so microscopic can even the playing field of life. No one is immune to this virus. No one can see it. No one can feel it until they are showing symptoms. With this kind of an enemy, we are all on common ground and may notice for the first time ever our similarities rather than our differences.

Que Sera Sera

Perhaps you are coming face-to-face with your own vulnerability or the vulnerability of your loved ones. Whatever you are experiencing during this “recess” I hope you are not attempting to resist. I hope you will learn resilience and cooperation even when you want to run screaming from the building you’ve been confined to for the past month.

Please stay safe. Please know that “this too shall pass.” Please know that “what will be will be” and that “resistance is futile.” Stay well. And let’s imagine how resilient we can be and how we will be able to help each other get back on our collective feet sooner rather than later by staying home now.