Resiliency and relaxation are two sides of the same coin; the mint is acceptance. What is acceptance? Acceptance is acknowledging the changes to a situation as they are. Acceptance allows reality to be as it is, but we don’t have to be happy about it. Along the River of Life, we will encounter many situations beyond our control we will have to accept. Some problems may appear beyond our ability to impact but are within reach if we work hard enough, and skills such as resiliency and patience are invaluable to reach your goal.
What is resiliency? Resiliency is enacting change through unfavorable circumstances, even ones unrelated to your actions. What defines ‘unfavorable circumstances’ will vary from person to person, but it could be as mundane as a headache or a poor night of sleep to the extreme such as a loss of a loved one or destruction of property. Perhaps the headlines of the day anger you, traffic rubs you the wrong way, or you are pushed against your limits at work. Whatever the case, resiliency is about being able to continue despite of the circumstances. Resiliency is discontented acceptance.
What is relaxation? Relaxation is when we practice contented acceptance. Relaxation is a skill bringing us closer on the path to peace. When we practice relaxation, we, at that moment, are ok with how things are and can cease our efforts to make changes. Perhaps we received an acknowledgment from someone meaningful to us. Maybe we feel accomplished that day and are lying down to rest. It could be as simple as drinking cool water after a good workout. Relaxation is how we transition from a period of active to a period of passive.
Resiliency and relaxation, through acceptance, can be practiced on scales large and small. Whether you take a moment to breathe, look out the window, or work through an injury to accomplish a goal because the result is important enough. You could relax at the beach for a day to decompress after talking yourself through a stressful meeting. Acceptance allowed you to understand where you were at and how to manage. The parts you didn’t like practiced resiliency to push through, and the parts you did like you practiced relaxation to recover.
The bends of the River of Life constantly change. Some of those changes are favorable for us, and some aren’t. Practicing acceptance is the first and most essential step. We acknowledge the differences for what they are. We don’t try to go back up the currents of the River of Life. We don’t grab low-hanging branches and stay in place; we keep going. Sometimes we get to practice relaxation and move closer to the path of peace. Other times we practice resiliency but keep moving forward, knowing that favorable changes are coming. Practice acceptance; you are worth it.