I recently met with a friend who experienced a significant health challenge. He currently is in the recovery phase but still is unable to work and do many of the things he was used to doing.

What struck me was his attitude. He told me, “I think this challenge was a present from God. It caused me to stop and evaluate what is really important in life. It gave me a chance to de-stress from many years of work pressure. My relationships with my daughters and wife are better.”

My conversation with him made me reflect on the power of resilience when facing challenges. It seems natural when we face challenges to feel sorry for ourselves. Questions often come to mind like: Why me? What did I do to deserve this?

However, when we quickly transition from self-pity to what we can learn or how we can benefit from a difficult situation, that’s resilience. We’re often able to recover faster when we don’t linger in a state of self-pity. Resilience helps us come out on the other side a more mature person.

The conversation with my friend prompted me to think about my own responses when facing difficulty. How about you? What challenges are you facing? Can you focus your thoughts on positive outcomes instead of being trapped by negativity?

Be resilient! You’ll be better for it.