Why Resilience Isn't Always the Goal

Why do we celebrate resilience as a positive personality trait? Resilience is defined as the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. While I understand it as a valuable skill in business or work, I question its application to personal life. To me, resilience often feels like a byproduct of trauma and tough times. You wouldn't need to be resilient if you hadn't experienced hardship in the first place. It's about bouncing back.

Perseverance, on the other hand, is the ability to continue trying despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. I'd rather be known for my perseverance than my resilience. When I persevere, I continue moving forward despite the trauma or difficulty. I'm committed to growth and the act of "trying." It's not just about bouncing back and being tough; it's about moving on and forward.

Difficulty is inevitable. There will be seasons in life where one unfortunate circumstance seems to follow another. But if we persevere, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Today, I commit to persevering through this difficult yet enlightening time in my life, and I'll allow myself to be resilient when it's over.