“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop moving forward.” -Confucius (551-479 BCE)
The OXFORD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines resilience in the context of this article as the ability of people or things to recover quickly after something
unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc. It is the ability to withstand, recover and adapt in the face of adversity. It is that quality that separates those who succeed from those who don’t. Adversity is an inevitable part of life. We have all experienced setbacks, failures, or disappointments at some point in time. Be it a job loss, failed friendship, health crisis or the most common and relatable one, academic setbacks.
Once in everybody’s lives, setbacks have come. The most common setback which has been faced by JMC students this term has been in the aspect of academics. The first regime was a major setback, at least for me but a resilient mindset sees setbacks as a steppingstone to a higher goal. Why dwell on the past when you still have the future waiting for you? In the words of Nelson Mandela, “The greatest glory in living is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” We fall to be raised up to greater heights.
The key to maintaining a resilient mindset is to never turn back. Life is like a hurdle race. The athletes don’t run to the hurdle and turn back, instead they jump. They run and jump. They keep going. Their resilient mindset aligns with that of Robert Frost when he said, “The only way out is through.” A resilient mindset demands that you face your challenges head-on with courage, taking risks and growing from your mistakes. “Resilience is being like water; it flows around obstacles.”
To further explain this topic, I’ll tell a story about a man who faced many setbacks but due to his resilience was able to produce groundbreaking work which led to significant advancements in understanding the nature of electricity. His name is Benjamin Franklin. Born on January 17, 1706, his early life was marked by hardship and struggle, both financial and educational. At a point in his life, he had to sell his beloved dog, Old Bob, for $10 to pay off debts. This did not stop him from pursuing his dreams. His printing company went bankrupt twice and he lost money on several investments. This still did not deter him. In 1752, he conducted extensive research on electricity, including flying kites to demonstrate that lightning is a form of electricity. One can also refer to Thomas Edison who reportedly tried over 1,000 different filaments before finding the right combination of materials to create a working lightbulb. He is famously quoted saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” His resilience and months of experimentation and testing led to the creation of the working incandescent lightbulb on October 21, 1879.
Stories like these inspire us to undertake challenges, looking at risks as an opportunity to grow, to become more refined. George S. Patton Jr. said, “It takes pressure to make diamonds.” Mistakes are opportunities to grow and be more refined. As we all know, no-one is perfect and as such everyone makes mistakes. I’m sure this was considered when pencils were made to have erasers.
In the context of Ignatian spirituality, the magis encourages us as individuals to rise above our current limitations by embracing challenges that push us beyond our comfort zones, allowing for spiritual growth through suffering. It encourages us to face hardships with a mindset that seeks not just survival, but growth, transformation, and spiritual progress.
As we navigate the complexities of life, it’s essential to remember that resilience is not about being immune to challenges, but rather about learning to rise above them. Resilience is a quality we should all aspire to have as it helps us push through the pain to achieve a greater goal as it is not just about bouncing back; it’s about growing forward.
“Resilience is not about being unbroken, but about learning how to bend”
Nnaemeka Victor OHAERI Jnr.
Class of 2027