Adversity
Just saying the word makes me cringe. We all experience it in our lifetime, but how many of us know what it is and appreciate it for the growth it brings to our lives?
Adversity refers to difficulties, challenges, or unfavorable circumstances that an individual or a group of people may encounter. It often involves facing obstacles, hardships, or setbacks that test one’s ability to cope, adapt, and overcome difficult situations. Adversity can manifest in various forms, including personal struggles, financial challenges, health issues, work problems, or external obstacles. Sometimes we might get caught up in or define ourselves by the adversity we’ve experienced. I’ve done that. This week, I realized that my identity was defined by what I went through…trauma survivor. That is ultimately how I saw myself.
In his book Atomic Habits: An Easy Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, James Clear discusses how the deepest layer of change comes from changing your identity. He suggests that to build lasting habits, we must “start by focusing on who we wish to become.” He made a very poignant statement: “Behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last.”
“The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.”
I can still hear my therapist’s voice in my ears telling me, “Your trauma doesn’t define you, Cyndi.” Still, I was the one who identified myself as a trauma survivor, even though I could’ve chosen so many other things to identify myself by. So, I got curious about that and started questioning how I might identify myself differently. I am also a change agent, a visionary, a leader, a coach, a believer, and much more. I am all of those things, and they make up my identity.
Those of us who have gone through years of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and successfully navigated those situations with limited resources have also accumulated a wealth of resilience to draw from in managing current career struggles. Resilience is the ability to bounce back, recover, or adapt positively in the face of adversity, challenges, or significant stress. It involves the capacity to withstand and navigate difficult situations, setbacks, or traumatic experiences while maintaining one’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
That is who we are…Resilient. It’s time for us to use this skill that was forged through the furnace of adversity to our advantage. Resiliency is our superpower. To me, it says that I can do whatever I set my mind to. We have earned the right to be successful and to shine. We are really good at surviving hard things, but now it is time to rise strong…to unlock your full potential and bring your talents to the world.
What change do you most want to be supporting in our world? What is getting in your way of making a difference? What are you willing to do to achieve your dream? The world needs you to be at your best! The world needs you to step out, show up, keep fighting, keep moving forward…to rise strong.
“Adversity will be part of our story, but it doesn’t have to be the whole story.” (Dr. Arielle Schwartz)
You’ve got this! You’ve already proven your ability to do hard things. I can’t wait to see you shine!!!
An Invitation
If you are looking for an online community of other resilient overcomers focusing on their careers, I invite you to join The Resilient Career Academy™ Community. (RCA Community)
The RCA Community is a FREE group dedicated to helping/supporting those working to overcome adversity and achieve their full potential in their careers.
The benefits to you are:
- Community — The community provides support, encouragement, the ability to share frustrations and get feedback from people who understand the struggle
- Workplace/Career Resources — The group provides tools, resources, and templates to help you with your career journey
- Available Coaching Support — The community is supported by trained and certified coaches who are available for individual sessions
- Learning — You will have access to various trauma/workplace-related online courses developed by our coaches to help you in your journey
- Workshops/Webinars — You will have access to practical workshops/webinars targeted to help you in the workplace grow your career
If you are interested in joining us, click here: https://resilientcareeracademy.myflodesk.com/community
As always, you do not have to walk this journey alone. Contact me to schedule your free discovery call.
Trigger Tracker Template — This is a FREE resource to help you keep track of the triggers in your workplace and plan the coping strategies you will use to get through the experience.
Get on the waiting list for The Resilient Career Academy™. You won’t want to miss it.
If you want to stay informed on the programs, tools, and training I offer, sign up for my mailing list.
You can also visit my website for more information on courses and other freebies I offer at: https://www.cyndibennettconsulting.com.
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Believer. Leader. Learner. Advocate. Writer. Speaker. Coach. Mentor. Triathlete. Encourager. Survivor.
Most of all, I am a fellow traveler on the rocky road called, Trauma Recovery. My mission is to minimize the effects of trauma for survivors in the workplace.
