Riveted to “Roosevelts?”–the Power of Resilience

I’ve been riveted to “The Roosevelts”—the PBS series by Ken Burns—have you?  Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “You must do what you think you cannot do.”  After watching that episode, I awoke in the middle of the night, sat up in bed, and said aloud, “If you say you can’t, you won’t.  If you think you can’t, you never will.”  It still sounded profound in the morning, and reminded me of one of my favorite words, “resilience.”  Many of my friends and I have bounced back from some of the worst business times in our lives.  Maybe you have, too.  Just like sports teams, we can demonstrate “worst to first”—after a crummy year, we can have our best year ever.  It’s all about training yourself to be RESILIENT.  The definition I like best is “the ability to recover quickly from misfortune; the capacity to withstand stress and catastrophe.” Resilient people work with adversity in such a way that you come through unharmed or even better for the experience.  It’s the quality of character that allows a group of people, a work group, a sports team, to rebound from misfortune, hardships and traumas.

Some of us have trouble bouncing back– “shaking off the bad plays.” This manifests in lingering depression, often diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Research tells us why some people get PTSD and others don’t.  Here are the factors in those who tend not to get PTSD:

1.  Strong social support—you make your own.

2. Communicating with others.

3.  Unshakable optimism (most important).

4.  Resilience—when you get knocked down, you get up.

We are more resilient than we think.  Are you bouncing back right now?  If so, you will be asked THE question, “So, what do you do?” We never know who links to whom, so we need to be ready to pitch our products and services anytime.  You may find riches in the elevator, in the check-out line, or on the side of a soccer field.  If it can save you time and make you money, it’s worth being ready with your request or message.

Knowing the words to communicate your business can help you be confident and empowered.  I will share with you the hard-won lessons of a 30-year superstar career in the speaking and training business, and we will create your perfect marketing pitch.  For more information, contact: mimi@mimidonaldson.com or call 310-577-0229.