Resiliency
My house blew up! I came home from work one day to discover that my house had blown up. A methane gas leak from the city lines entered the house through the tub drain and was ignited by a pilot light on a wall heater. The house was blown off of the foundation and nearly all of my belongings were destroyed. Luckily no one was hurt. With absolutely no notice or warning, I was suddenly in a situation where I had to completely start over.
My brain blew up! At a time when I was close to my athletic peak and training for ultra marathons, I collapsed on my way to the bathroom one night and was unable to walk, speak or see properly. I was taken to the hospital and eventually diagnosed with viral encephalitis. It took months of treatments and perseverance to recover.
While I was posted in Ethiopia, I experienced several tragedies in a short time. Three of my friends died sudden and unexpected deaths in separate incidents. I was also a passenger in a taxi that struck someone. My emotional threshold was exceeded and the grief and despair were overwhelming. My resilience was tested.
Extensive travelling and adventuring defines my life. I have definitely found myself in some trying situations: exposed to gunfire and artillery, car accidents, parasites, illness, weather catastrophes, broken bones and other calamities.
Despite being happily married now, I spent the greater portion of my life as a single woman. I learned how to be self reliant and comfortable in my own skin.
What is resiliency? It is the capacity to recover from difficulties. It is the ability to adapt when faced with adversity. Am I happy, content and optimistic? Yes. But my outlook and sentiment don't come from the absence of hardships. Resiliency isn't something that you are born with, it is learned through living and acquired by prevailing. if you are considering me as your life coach, my backstory is relevant information to you. I will self disclose some of my history so that you can decide if I have relatable experiences that will better allow me to help you. I truly believe that my challenges have gifted me with new tools, strategies and coping skills to help others.