THE POWER OF RESILIENCE

For some people, resilience seems to come naturally, for others (including me) resilience is a learnt skill that can enormously increase our aptitude both professionally and personally.

Learning to create your own resilience is an incredibly powerful tool that gives us the awareness, understanding and the ability to take action for whatever is dealt at us, and yet still focus on staying on top of our game. It is far too easy to fall into negative thinking that there is no hope or possibility of a positive outcome, yet our own mindfulness can change the outcome simply by changing our own thought process and beliefs.

As a woman in a male dominated industry, it seems to me that women often need more resilience than men to overcome the career obstacles placed in their way. We know that traditionally women make up 50% of the educated labor force, many women earn advanced degrees, yet outside academia, women are still behind in promotions and career advancements, especially in aviation where we are few and far between across all sectors.

Women often have the added burden of proving their own competence while facing the everyday challenges of a busy career and family life.

Resilience is the skill that enables women of every age to cope, regroup, and model the attributes of leadership, this skill will also create strong self-respect and self-confidence which is a huge part of the journey.

Too many women, are not aware of the amount of resilience they possess. What many women do not realize is that they are very resilient by nature, and that with some cultivation and education any woman can strengthen her resolve to push past obstacles and achieve incredible things.

Creating your own resilience will empower you to not give in, or give

up on a situation that you perceive to be a negative outcome, instead it will help you to see the good in the bad, take negative and turn it to positive and bounce back from situations. Resilience creates leadership and inspires others to do the same.

The powerful choice of resilience – YOU GET TO CHOOSE HOW RESILIENT YOU BECOME

· Attitude is EVERYTHING! It is responsible for our successes, and when we cultivate the belief that internal fortitude (our ability to have the courage and endurance to continue on and never give up), not circumstances, affects achievements, it enables us to bounce back no matter what.

· When anything in life happens we must remember that we often have no control over why it has happened, but we do have control how we react or

respond and this has everything to do with how the outcome will end.

· Stop – breathe –focus and assess the situation before you react. Be Pro-Active not Re-Active this can be the difference of over reacting because of stress to proactively dealing with a situation and turning the outcome to a positive one.

· ALWAYS Take time out for you. Find some time to replenish or reenergize, regardless of your schedule.

· Remember how lucky you are and be appreciative of that, even on your worse days there is always someone out there who is far worse off than yo

u.

· Respect yourself – how can we expect others to respect us if we do not respect ourselves? We are in control of our lives, we control how we feel, react and respond. Respect is more than just a word; it is a mantra to live by. When we respect ourselves, we are setting a standard of how we want to be treated.

· Challenge Your Self to be the best that you can be, set your own standards and write your own outcomes.

· Seek out a mentor and build a strong support network of colleagues

and friends who understand what you are trying to achieve. Create your tribe and embrace your work allies. It is much easier to problem solve with a support network when things get challenging.

· Get uncomfortable, put yourself in the situations where you put yourself at the front of the room instead of the back. Your opinion matters, put your hand up and put forward your thoughts and ideas. It’s easier to disagree or speak up or any number of other things when you know it’s OK not to be comfortable during the process. Create the self-confidence to put yourself in uncomfortable situations.

If women want to make it happen, then there is a clear priority for self-development. It is up to you to create your personal resilience. There are many tools available to create your own success, EMPOWER YOURSELF …… It is all up to you!