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Fortitude and Resilience
In my work, I treat many clients who are in a place of uncertainty, doubt, worry or fear and many people show incredible fortitude. Fortitude is the ability to have great courage and bravery in the face of pain or adversity. It is essentially the ability to be resilient, to have the strength of mind and emotion to continue through adverse conditions. Fortitude is often tiring and exhausting, but our resilience can be supported by choosing positive coping mechanisms.
Gratitude and Interconnectedness
Gratitude encourages our interconnectedness with all things and it is a word that is used a lot in the areas I work in, specifically holistic health, wellness and spirituality. In order for us to grow as compassionate human beings with a greater understanding of the world around us, we are told we must foster gratitude. Statistics tell us that gratitude can help us become more optimistic, positive, productive and healthy human beings - but what happens if we can't feel grateful?
When We Don't Feel Grateful
During times of pain, when we are battling through, it can be difficult to feel grateful for the things we have - we can have an intellectual understanding of the need to appreciate the things we have but are sometimes unable to actually feel gratitude for them. And this is OK. The last thing anyone needs during times of adversity is to feel guilty about not feeling what we feel we ought to.
Compassion
It's important to understand that what may seem like nirvana to some, can feel like purgatory to others and there is no benefit in us comparing ourselves to each other. We do not know the full extent of each others pain and, no matter what you have or don't have, none of it invalidates your suffering. Appreciate yourself just as you are and the rest will come.
Further Information
Copyright © Andrea Doran, Flourish and Contributors - Original Date of Publication May 2018 | For personal use and information only
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