Journey of Resilience

Life is unpredictable. With adversity, we need to rely on our strength, our higher power, & Resilience. 

Resilience gives us capacity to navigate challenges with grace, learn from experience, & emerge stronger on the other side.

Reflecting on your own life, when did your Resilience help you to move forward? 

My own experience of Resilience unfolded at the end of my recent trip to Peru. As I reflected on my Spiritual experiences, the last thing I imagined was to be detained near midnight in the Lima, Peru airport. 

As I boarded the plane, the attendant said to go with security. Confused, I shrugged my shoulders to my 8 travel companions as I was whisked away by security. 

With stress levels high & limited Spanish, the events blurred as we went back thru customs & my boarding pass & passport were given to the officer. Descending several flights to basement airport, I was met with 10 security personnel & my suitcase in a concrete room. 

They motioned for me to open my suitcase & I frantically tried to find what they wanted. A woman stepped forward to help & found a fan that may have alerted the security cameras. After a frenzy & loud voices, they said that must be it. 

With my clothes, souvenirs, & other possessions strewn throughout, I held back tears as I repacked. They hurried me & took my suitcase away.

The only thing to my name in that moment was my phone which was quickly losing battery power. 

I replied, “No comprendo,” several times & then handed my google translator to the woman. She replied they needed to send the suitcase thru x-ray again. 

Being away from my travel companions, not knowing the language, not knowing if I was going to leave the country, & only having my dying phone, the next few moments were agonizing.

Yet, at that moment, I felt an unusual calm settle over me. Spirit was there & I heard simply, “You’ll get home.”

An eternity passed & several agents came running back. It was indeed the fan that set off the sensors. They instructed us to go. I scaled the stairs two at a time & quickly pulled ahead of the security. Thank goodness for my endurance athleticism days. 

In a frenzy, we went thru customs & cut thru security.  I ran full speed in hiking boots, with adrenaline pumping. The security woman shoved my passport in my arm & said in Spanish, “Run to gate 19!”

Resilience. My own inner strength got me there. As they patted me down one more time & my phone dinged that my suitcase was on the plane, it hit me, I was going home. 

Miraculously, the plane, scheduled to depart just before midnight, held its departure for a short while & I made it onboard.

Resilience. As I settled on the plane, adrenaline still pumping, emotions swirling within, I sat down & had to write. After several minutes, simple phrases jumped out at me: 

It’s time to move forward. You’re more than this.

You can truly do anything. 
 

And my favorite?

Who the fuck am I trying to prove myself to? 

Resilience got me through.

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As you go thru complexities of life, reflect on your own resilience & consider these strategies:

1. Embrace Change: Resilience is about adapting to change. Embrace the uncertainty & find the opportunities within it.
2. Trust Your Strength: You possess an inner strength that can guide you through even the most difficult times. Trust in it.
3. Recognize your determination: Resilient people are more likely to continue despite setbacks, to view these as temporary & see the long-term perspective of their journey. 
4. Community Support: Just as my journey was eased by the support of my traveling companions, seek support from community. Would love to have you in VIP to support your journey. 

Resilience is the art of turning adversity into opportunity & of transforming challenges into stepping stones toward personal growth. 

Life's challenges are inevitable & so is our Resilience. 

Wishing you strength, resilience, & the fortitude to rise above.