“There will be times in your life when things simply have to be replaced because they are tired, broken, worn out, harmful, outdated, or irrelevant. Take an inventory of the things that no longer serve your best and highest good so you can replace them with things which do.”
― Susan C. Young

3 December 2020

Dear Renée,
I’m sure you are sighing with relief that 2020 is almost over. You may even be holding your breath, knowing the first half of 2021 may not look much better than the last nine tumultuous months! But for many of us, there were still some good times and beneficial things that happened in 2020. For example, we learned how to live a “virtual” life to stay connected, to stay in business or to keep our jobs, we had more time with our closest family members, and we cut our travel times on the road freeing up time to do other things. Hopefully all of these helped us create a better work life balance. (If you are a parent who became a teacher, you have my deepest respect!)

For many of us, this is the first time in our lives where such massive disruption has taken place.  During Thanksgiving dinner last week, I asked my mom what was her best childhood memory of Thanksgiving. Her response caught me off guard. She responded, “I don’t really have any good memories of Thanksgiving as a child. You see I was born during the Great Depression and then within a few years we were fighting a war. Times were tough.”  Maybe that’s why she easily gets the “Do what is needed for the greater good”.

Resilience is a learned skill; getting stronger and stronger as we go through these types of circumstances. It helps us to face our fears and to keep taking action day after day. With this in mind, I hope you find the article below useful. It talks about the seven key characteristics of people with high resilience.

Also, be sure to check out the Awesome Resource section. I don’t typically put my own services in this section, but I’m making an exception today. I’m offering a 4-hour Virtual Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway® Workshop based on the works by Dr. Susan Jeffers. This workshop will help build your resilience skills so you can enter 2021 with a lighter look on life and see new opportunities. Or maybe you are looking for a great life-enhancing Hanukkah or Christmas present for a loved one who is struggling with anxiety.  You can find all the details here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

To living a life with resilience and joy!

Taking the LEAP with you!

Bounce Back: Developing Emotional Resilience

Major disruptions are a “gotcha” we all experience at one time or another in our lives. We get fired, laid off or passed over; a loved one dies, leaves or gets in trouble; a project stalls or gets cancelled; a business fails. The list, unfortunately, can be endless. And in 2020 many of these types of events could have happened at the same time making the situation so much worse.

For some, the impact of these hard times is overwhelming. Recovery, if it comes at all, can be painfully slow. Others show resilience and are admirably able to glide through these hard times fairly easily, bouncing back to a normal life quickly. So why is it some people struggle and fall flat, while others bounce?

Resilience — the strength required to adapt to change—acts as our internal compass to resourcefully navigate an upset. When unexpected events turn life upside down, it’s the degree to which our resiliency comes into play that makes these “make-or-break” situations an opportunity for growth. The good news is that each of us has the capacity to reorganize our life after a disruption and to achieve new levels of strength and meaningfulness.

Though it’s easy to feel vulnerable in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, life disruptions are not necessarily a bad thing. They help us grow and meet future challenges in our lives. It’s a lot like a bone once fragile or broken that is now strong from being repetitively used. Our challenges do make us stronger and better.

So how can you become more resilient?

Here’s a look at Seven Key Characteristics of people who demonstrate resilience during life’s ups and downs:

1. A Sense of Hope and Trust in the World

Resilient people rely on their belief in the basic goodness of the world and trust things will turn out all right in the end. This positive attitude allows them to weather times when everything seems bleak and to look for and accept the support that is out there. This approach toward the world gives them the ability to hope for a better future.  Hope is a very powerful tool to combat feelings of helplessness.

2. Interpreting Experiences in a New Light

The ability to look at a situation in a new way (a skill called “reframing”) can minimize the impact of a difficult situation. Resilient people take a creative approach toward solving a problem, and don’t always use an old definition for a new challenge.  One of the most powerful questions in times like these is, “How is this an opportunity to change my life into something better and more fulfilling?”

3. A Meaningful System of Support

One of the best ways to endure a crisis is to have the support of another person who can listen and validate your feelings. Knowing others care and will come to our support decreases the feeling of isolation, especially when tackling a problem alone. It’s important to choose people you trust. Don’t be surprised if it takes several friends, each of whom can provide different kinds of support. Resilient people aren’t stoic loners. They know it is dangerous to become isolated.  They recognize the value of expressing their fears and frustrations, as well as receiving support, coaching or guidance from friends, family or a professional.

4. A Sense of Mastery and Control Over Your Destiny

You may not be able to predict the future, but you can tackle a problem instead of feeling at the mercy of forces outside of your control. Resilient people know that ultimately their survival and the integrity of their life values depend on their ability to take action rather than remain passive. Tough times call for you to tap into your own sense of personal responsibility.  By taking action, you can determine what your “new life” will look like.  And you can only correct something when you are in motion. So, take action – any action.

5. Self-Reflection and Insight

Life’s experiences provide fertile ground for learning. Asking yourself questions that invite introspection can open a door to new understanding and appreciation of who you are and what you stand for. Giving voice to your thoughts and feelings leads to insight and helps transform the meaning of a problem into something useful. Resilient people learn from life situations and do not succumb to punishing themselves because of decisions made in the past.  Resilient people don’t look at mistakes as failures but as learning experiences to do it better next time.  After all, FAIL just means First Attempt In Learning!

6. A Wide Range of Interests

People who show resilience in the face of adversity are those who have a diversity of interests. They’re open to new experiences and ideas. Because their lives are rich and varied, it’s easier for them to find distraction and relief from the single mindedness and worry that often accompany a crisis, especially when you have all your eggs in one basket.

7. Sense of Humor

Have you ever had a wry laugh during a difficult situation? I find there is nothing better than when I can laugh at myself for having done something ridiculous. The ability to see the absurdity, irony, or genuine humor in a situation stimulates our sense of hope and possibility. Humor has both psychological and physical benefits in relieving stress because it encourages a swift change in your perception of your circumstances—and when your thoughts change, your mood follows. This is why resilient people pay attention to their mindset, knowing they are in control of their thoughts and emotions. They ask the question, “How do I want to feel?”

Tip: When you look to improve these seven areas now—rather than when adversity pays a visit—you’ll be able to bounce back more quickly when it does hit.

Over the next few weeks, focus on the areas above to see how you can become more resilient.  You can increase your resilience even more, by building a community of like-minded people who can support you.

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway® 4-hour Virtual Workshop

Do you wish you could worry less, sleep better and smile more?  Do you suffer from anxiety, isolation, stress, insecurity, anger, or feel like you are overwhelmed or stuck in a rut? 

If so, this workshop could be just what you or a loved one needs to start 2021 on a positive note.  By attending the workshop, based on Dr Susan Jeffers’ international best seller of the same name, you will learn practical ways to release pressure, reduce stress, and make decisions which will improve the quality of your life and help you move forward. You will learn how to say no to others, feel more in control of your life, improve your overall well-being, change reactions to situations, reduce feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, reduce your negative inner-chatter and get more out of life.  Click here to find out more.

FREE GIFT
If you know it's time for a change in a specific area of your life, but you aren't sure how to make it happen, this is for you - Courage, Risks and Reward: Taking a Chance to Change Your Life -  a 5-part Coaching Program compliments of The LEAP Network! Click here to download the program.

COMPLIMENTARY REINVENT STRATEGY SESSION

Join me in a one-hour complimentary strategy session to help determine how you can move forward in getting unstuck, and gain momentum to move in the right direction for you.

During our session, we will go over one or two exercises and determine the one next step you can take on your own after the call to keep the momentum going. Click here to schedule your session

Renée Blasky is the Founder and CEO of The LEAP Network Ltd.

After realizing her career in the financial industry was no longer exciting, Renée started her journey as a Start-up Business Coach by completing the Tony Robbins and Cloe Maddanes Core 100 Strategic Intervention program and she has never looked back!

Through her Get Results Without the Overwhelm Program, she loves working with new solo entrepreneurs to help them become the CEO of their companies. Using her unique process she helps them strategize, set stick-worthy goals, and implement an action plan. The program includes valuable resources to help them stay focused, create the right mindset, and stay accountable.  She also gently pushes her clients outside of their comfort zones and helps them face their fears so they can achieve their dreams. Renée works with her clients through various online courses, webinars, one-on-one coaching, and group coaching programs.

In addition to her own Get Results Without the Overwhelm Program, Renée is a certified trainer for Marci Shimoff's Happy for No Reason and Susan Jeffer's Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway courses based on their respective books of the same name. 

Renée, who obtained her CFA Charter in 1990, has over 30 years of experience in the finance industry and first entered into the world of entrepreneurship in 1997 after discovering several ethical lapses at her places of employment.  She decided it was best to start her own business so she could dictate the values and beliefs from which to run her business.  Renée's coaching clients are based all over the world, and range from various types of coaches, import/exporters, to direct line marketers. 

Learn more about Renée and The LEAP Network by visiting her website here: www.theleapnetwork.coachesconsole.com.

You can also send an email directly to Renée at rkblasky@theleapnetwork.co (not “.com”)

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