You are more resilient than you think

Hey, Gippslander’s, we have just been on one hell of a ride and now it’s time to hop off, take a deep breath and regain your balance. The drought, the bushfires and then COVID19. The triple whammy, you would not even read about this in the twisted plot of a Steven King novel. However, you know what, you are here and you are more resilient than you think.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back after adversity. Get up, brush yourself off and continue. It is through resilience that we grow, learn and develop personally and professionally. This is the time that our comfort zone widens beyond its normal scope and we cannot go back to what we were. A rubber band that is stretched beyond its norm becomes looser, freer and forever changed. We bounce back but we bounce back with a different integrity. We walk away with a new experience, appreciation of
the world and acknowledgement of what is important in life.

I hear you it was bloody tough, shifting work online, business closing, staying home and ohh not to mention homeschooling. However, the power and the beauty of the experience will remain with us forever. The learnings, the awakenings, the gratitude. A slower pace, time spent with family, an opportunity to stop racing around. Be with those that we love, be in the moment, be mindful and be grateful.

Running a business, I have been operating from a place of doing for as long as I can remember. Rushing from one meeting to another, picking up kids from school, often doing so many things it felt like a juggle whilst desperately trying not to drop the ball. At dinner, I often found myself standing and eating, whilst tidying up and going through a To Do list in my mind. The lockdown created a space for me to be, instead of do.

To be with my children, to be quiet, to be reflective and to be in each moment. I have enjoyed some of the simplest of pleasures that I had not appreciated for so long. Sitting and eating a meal with the kids enjoying the conversation, the moment, the connection, just being.

Resilience is developed and enhanced over time and as a result of the challenges we face. We can strengthen our resilience muscle through many practices. Self-care, exercise, gratitude, mindfulness, managing our stress and emotions. Resilience can be harnessed to evoke calm, pleasure and happiness even through the tough times. What resilience practices will you continue to incorporate in your day-to-day life?

For life is a journey of mountains, rivers and caves. There is no straight path filled with roses the whole way. Life, as we know, has its challenges, has its success, has its darkness and has its light. For it is within the forces of the opposite polarity that brings life into balance with all its hardships and in all its glory. We cannot experience happiness without the experience of sadness. With only a singular entity and no existence of its polar opposite, it would not be what it is. We need one to comprehend
and appreciate the other.

Gippslanders have endured some back-to-back challenges and Gippslanders are more resilient than they think. I am so proud of the community I call home. The innovative initiatives of local business to continue to thrive, the community culture of supporting each other, the appreciation about the beautiful environment in which we reside.

A community of strong and pragmatic people who get the job done. No sense of wallowing in pity or rocking in the fetal position in the corner. Gippslanders have an endearing spirit, unrelenting stamina and an unyielding resilience.

The future for the region is bright; there is nothing that can compare with what we have already experienced. We have climbed the mountain and can reprieve amongst the wildflowers in the valley. Looking back at the dark shadows with a sense of pride for what we have conquered endured and survived. As we look forward and the sun warms our skin, the scent of relief soothes our soul and the thought of celebration dances in our sights. We walk towards the light, stronger, wiser and more resilient than we think.