Resilience is described as the psychological strength to cope with stress and hardship
It is the capacity to recover from difficult life events and to perform and remain well balanced - growing through times of change, challenge and uncertainty.
As is the norm on a Weekly Wilderness Webinar we safari online with a wild animal species to learn some personal and professional insights as humans. This week our wildlife companions were honey badgers, known in the creatures of immunity!
They may look cute:
But, what are their strengths?
They have an attitude of fearlessness
They bite back, and do not run away from scary confrontations or challenging times.
They home in on the greatest strength of their enemy and disarm it, i.e. by biting off the head of a snake, or peeling off the poisonous tail of a scorpion.
They have a very thick skin - impenetrable even to machete blows of a bullet blast.
They have an adaptive swivel that gets them out of danger as their skin is like a loose fitting onesie they can twist and turn in with unanticipated and surprising ease.
They build a tolerance over time to pain and become immune to poisonous, penetrating snake bites and scorpion stings.
They are patient parents
The resilient individual often does more than simply bounce back, they change, adapt and even grow in some way.
These were some of the life insights we learnt from the honey badger about resilience:
They have an attitude of fearlessness because they know themselves well - their strengths and weaknesses, and their unique attributes and talents within the animal kingdom. When we have clarity like they do we find purpose that powers passion and keeps us going when we feel like giving up.
They bite back and do not run away. They are not large like lions, or quick like cheetahs so if they turned and ran, they could be hunted down and terminated. So when your opposition looks larger than you face them head on and bite back. Biting back does not need to be violent, it can be saying 'No' instead of a people-pleasing 'Yes'. It could be setting a boundary - I'm not going to listen when you speak to me with disrespect.....
Like the honey badgers when they bite off the head of the snake, or disempower the tail of a scorpion, we can disarm the advancing strengths and resources of our opposition, or face a swirling whirlwind of a challenge. And thus, thrive and not just survive as the goading gauntlet is deactivated with a defiant resilient defence.
Like the honey badger parent, we can be patient, persistent, but thoughtful coaches - immunizing our 'pups' with just enough pain. Toughness and tenacity is built through increasing tolerance over time.
One of the honey badger's greatest strengths is his gymnastic, adaptability. The only way we don't get stuck in pity or crusty solutions that no longer work is to be as versatile building creative and innovative mental problem solving solutions.
If you would like to watch the video we saw of the honey badgers and engage in the intriguing discussions that spring-boarded from their antics, please click below:
On Wednesday 12th June 2024 at 6pm UK time, our next
Weekly Wilderness Webinar focuses on:
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT LEADERS
This is for leaders who want to be cutting-edge-competent in the way in which they empower and inspire those they lead.
Our Wildlife Hosts with whom you will Safari Online are the mysterious mountain gorilla families living in the mountains of Rwanda.
Email me on wildernessencountersafrica@gmail.com if you would like to be included on future Weekly Wilderness Webinars, or if you would like to MONKEY AROUND on the next Wilderness Encounter that takes us on an adventure with the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda, and then tree-topping in the Nyungwe Forest that hosts many different primate species, including Chimpanzees.
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