YOU'RE ALLOWED TO BE READY TO HEAL AND REST

A few thoughts on resilience:

Resilience is the capacity to get back up when things go wrong. It’s a resource that you can access at any time, but there will be times in life when resilience is not enough. In the face of intense stress or circumstances, "bouncing back" might not be at the top of our minds. And what if that's okay?

Sometimes, resilience isn’t enough because we have run out of resources. We’ve gone as far as we have been able to go on our own. We begin to realize that even though we have learned to carry so much on our shoulders, that doesn't mean that we should. Just because we've had to be “the strong one,” that doesn't mean we should have to stay in that state forever.

Sometimes, other people may even rely on our resilience. We may find ourselves being the ones that others look to when they need support again and again. And even though, in our hearts, we don't mind being there, sometimes, resilience can keep us from seeing that we too are worthy of care.

In whatever way you have had to learn to be resilient in your life, I hope that you can find room to also nurture the parts of you that need care. You are not frail for needing rest, and you are not selfish for taking time to fill yourself up. There is nothing wrong with craving a steady pace that doesn't call for constant resilience.

Perhaps the opposite of resilience is not fragility, but sensitivity. To be sensitive is to be open and aware of the subtleties around us. To be sensitive to others and to ourselves.

When our resilience has been exhausted, let us remember that we are worthy of space to be sensitive, soft, and tender. 

There is much to be learned from resilience, but perhaps, in our current times, there is also much to be learned from rest. Give yourself permission to seek support for a way out of constant resilience. 

Embrace the grace that reminds you you are free to just be, as you are.

More tomorrow…
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols

More in this week's series called "For the Healing Journey", only with a subscription in the Storyteller App.