The Third Pillar of Resilience: Positive Relationships

Now that we know about the importance of self-care and self-awareness, we need to focus on the importance of engaging in positive relationships. This is because all the relationships we have, whether they be negative or positive, distant or close,  may have an impact on our Resilience.

Positive relationships come in many forms, whether it’s those who support you, those who encourage you, those who bring out the best version of you, those who help you through difficult times, or those who wait for you at the finish line. Sometimes, we find relationships which are all of those.

Having positive relationships is essential for Resilience. Being Resilient means overcoming difficulties and obstacles, but it does not mean that we have to overcome these alone.

Surround yourself with people who support you

It’s easy to doubt yourself, and that’s why it’s important to surround yourself with people who support you, even when you don’t think you need them. Having people who support you is important when it comes to staying motivated. It’s easy to give up when there is no one to hold us accountable. Navigating your way through difficult times can sometimes feel lonely, but surrounding yourself with people who support you can help you to feel like you are not alone. You don’t need to do everything by yourself to be Resilient.

Surround yourself with people who encourage you

Having people who encourage you should not be confused as being the same as having people who support you. Surrounding yourself with people who support you along your journey is important, but it is even more important to surround yourself with people who encourage you to start your journey in the first place.

Surround yourself with people who bring out the best version of you

We have a different version of ourselves that we present depending on who we are surrounded by. The problem with this is that we often take on that version of ourselves as the dominant version. That’s why it’s important that we surround ourselves with people who will bring out the best version of ourselves and help us to be the best that we can be.

Surround yourself with people who get you through the difficult and stressful times

As previously mentioned, Resilience means being able to overcome difficulties. However, sometimes these difficulties still be stressful. Being Resilient does not mean that we never feel stress; it means that we have the necessary resources to handle stress. These resources include both skills to cope with stress, as well as the ability to reach out for support and help from others when we need it. That is why it is important to surround yourself with people who will support you through difficult times and provide you with the encouragement that you need to believe in yourself.

Surround yourself with people who wait for you at the finish line

There are plenty of people who might present themselves as supporting you on your way to the finish line, but they might be the same people who prevent you from reaching it (whether intentionally or unintentionally). Being Resilient during difficult times means identifying your personal “cheer leaders” – the ones who will not only be cheering for you on the finish line but also helping you celebrate your success and increase your self-belief. Tough times can be challenging, but surrounding yourself with people who will wait for you at the finish line can help you to stay motivated.