Great Morning Team,
Lately, it appears a full moon has been out more than usual and has created some unexpected havoc in my personal world. Friedrich Nietzsche was the first to coin the aphorism “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” (Technically, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”) The saying appears to have resonated from generation to generation. Case in point, fast forward from the 1800’s to 2013 when Kelly Clarkson used Nietzsche’s coined phrase in her song as part of her album “Stronger,” it won her a Grammy for it in 2013. Perhaps back then Nietzsche was attempting, with a bit of sarcasm and levity, to define resilience. In my last Better We, Better Week I shared some tools and best practices to create greater resilience during the holiday season. This week I wanted to share a closer look at our Core Value of Relentless Learning and how we can use it to propel us to build our skill of Resiliency, which has been especially helpful and even a source of clarity and inspiration for me personally.
Relentless Learning: We are lifelong learners, driven by curiosity and growth, and thriving in uncertainty. Every situation is an opportunity to self-reflect and develop our mindset. We seek feedback, adapt quickly, and turn every experience into momentum—getting better each time we show up.
What resonates for me in this definition are several gentle reminders. I am reminded we have 365 chances a year to become 1% better at something every day. I am also reminded that during the most uncertain and even the most difficult times, our mindset matters and is key to learning how to become resilient. I have learned over time (repeatedly) that how we think about things makes all the difference in the world. When we reframe our thinking and choose to view our difficult situation differently, such as being curious to try seeing things as temporary versus fixed, seeking to find something good within the messy, or finding something or someone that provides deep meaning or great purpose, even in circumstances that are permanent, it can lead to positive changes in both psychological and physical wellbeing; hence “getting better and each time we show up.” The “getting better” is also learning how to thrive in it all and not just survive. We all have trials and challenges in life, but what if the heavy lift could become lighter by harnessing this skill?
The enclosed article from The New Yorker, “How People Learn to Become Resilient,” written by Maria Konnikova is brilliant. (Click here to read.) She speaks about the great work and research that has been discovered regarding how to develop resilience, how to begin to think differently, and discusses the positive discoveries and outcomes shared in use cases pertaining to both children and adults.
If you are curious to discover and utilize some tools and strategies to help you strengthen your skill of resiliency, represented in our Core Value of Relentless Learning, the enclosed article will serve as great starting point.
Wishing you all a Better We, Better Week! 😊
Lori Beth
