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Resilience is Built through Challenges
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. ~Helen Keller
I had a dream last week. I was asked to speak at a conference at a University. In the dream, I had prepared some notes and was planning on reviewing and finalizing the talk when I arrived as a guest at someone’s home. There was chaos at the house with people coming in and out of my room, no power on my devices, no space for me.
When I arrived at the University, there was chaos again. Settling in to review my notes, I was told that I was the first speaker and it was time to go on. In the auditorium, there were people in front of me, to the left, to the right and behind me. Everyone was talking in small groups and not paying attention to me. A group of women started singing. I saw that my talk had been renamed Resilience. Finally, in the last 5 minutes of my time, the room of people became silent and I started to share what I know about resilience.
I told them that the first experience is the hardest and for many of them, 2020 was the first real life challenge they ever had. It is in that first challenge that you discover who you really are, what you are capable of and you discover your courage and tenacity. In that challenge, you begin to develop…
