Resilience.
Let's start by connecting to your breath or to any other thing that allows you to stay focused.
You might want to consider listening to a sound in the background or connect to a sensation in your body or you might want to touch an object that allows you to stay focused.
Just connect to that thing,
To your breath and start by taking a deep breath in followed by a long breath out.
Connect with this point of focus and allow your mind to settle.
Breathing in and breathing out,
Listening to the sound,
Sensing your body,
Touching the object.
Just settle in and relax.
If your thoughts are distracted from your point of focus,
Just notice it with kindness and curiosity and bring your attention back to your focal point.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Bring to mind and disappointing experience when you haven't been able to meet your objectives,
When you haven't lived up to your high standards,
When you fail to accomplish a goal.
Bring yourself back to that moment and try to connect to what you felt back then.
Where have you been?
What does it look like?
What do you hear?
What do you smell?
Who is with you?
How does it look like that situation in which you failed,
Which was so disappointing for you?
Spend a few moments to bring back that situation in your mind and to relive it and connect with the emotions that are coming up,
With the thoughts,
Maybe anger,
Frustration,
Shame.
Just be with those emotions and allow them to wash over you while you are breathing in and out,
Reliving the situation.
At the back of your mind you might start to hear that well-known voice,
This voice of your inner critic that is coming up in those moments of defeat,
Telling you things like,
I am not good enough,
I have failed again,
I will never make this,
I am not smart enough,
I am not strong enough,
I'm not good enough,
I'm so inadequate.
Allow yourself to take a step back from that voice in your head and just say,
Thank you,
Thank you for your input,
I've heard you and now please stop breathing in and breathing out.
Allow your inner critic to come to a rest and next consider the following.
Yes,
I am a human being.
Yes,
I am imperfect.
Yes,
I live an imperfect life and I am not alone.
We are all in this together.
This is what makes us human.
This is what unites all of us in this world,
In this life.
Consider the following thoughts.
Yes,
I have been defeated.
Yes,
I haven't lived up to my standards.
But this is not about me.
This is about concrete situation,
Concrete conditions and concrete things that went wrong.
Let's think about those concrete things that went wrong.
Let's think about those conditions that weren't in your favor.
Let's understand what led to your defeat.
What was it that led you to this bad situation,
To this undesired outcome.
Next,
Think about these moments where you have been successful.
You have had many successes in your past,
Smaller and bigger ones.
And just remind yourself,
You can make it.
You have found ways to overcome those challenges too.
You have found the right things.
You were better prepared.
You had learned the right stuff.
You were equipped to face your challenges.
Just consider this for a moment.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Offer yourself some kindness.
May I be happy.
May I find the resources to overcome the challenges in my life.
May I retain the curiosity to continue to learn,
To grow.
May I live in peace and safety.
May I be happy.
You will be facing more challenges in your life.
You will be seeing more defeats.
And you will be successful.
You will overcome them.
You will move on.
And in those situations,
When you are facing those challenges,
Take a deep breath in and tell yourself,
Breathing in,
I will do my very best.
And breathing out,
I let go of the rest.
Breathing in,
I will do my best.
Breathing out,
I let go of the rest.
Finally,
Connect again to your focal point.
Connect to your breath.
Connect to your body.
To that sound.
Or to that object that allows you to stay focused.
Allow your mind to settle.
You do not need to have all the answers right now.
You do not need to have a precise action plan on how to overcome your challenges.
Your mind will work on it today,
Tomorrow,
To get you better prepared.
Allow your mind to settle.
Breathing in and breathing out.
If you still feel tension in your body,
You might want to do a fist,
A strong fist,
In which you capture your tension.
And then you slowly release your fist and relax your hand.
And let go of that tension.
Breathing in and breathing out.
