Have you ever watched a child who is learning to walk?
She first pulls herself up using the couch or a table leg, then turns and takes a step. Or two.
BAM! Down she goes.
What occurs next is a minor miracle – she pulls herself up and tries again!
Eventually, she succeeds! (and the peace of the household is forever gone.)
What’s happening here?
The baby shows resilience, the ability to get back up after she falls.
She also shows persistence, the ability to keep going after the fall.
You may have heard that insanity is repeating the same actions while expecting different results.
Clearly our baby is doing something that allows her to, ultimately, succeed!
I believe she is learning from her experience and applying what she learns to do better the next time.
That, in a nutshell, is the theme of my chapter in Resilience.
If you want to be resilient, you need two things: persistence and planning. Persistence to help you regain your feet when you lose balance and planning to help you move forward toward your goal.
— Presented at the Bookworm in Omaha, Nebraska, August 19, 2017