Resilience

This week, my son has gone back to school and has been wanting to work out with me every morning before school. He is five. I find that incredible.

He has joined me every day this week being in the garage gym early, and ready to go. While I swap dumbbells for lighter, different-sized energy drink cans, he is getting the motions in and learning about improving just a little bit on every rep.

This morning, he came in and lifted up a dumbbell while I was still on the treadmill warming up, and I made a joke to him asking about if he ever named his arms because they’re so strong.

He said no, but quickly came up with two great names: Strongy and Fearless.

Defines him perfectly.

Then, of course, he asked me what my arms’ names were, and while my youngest brother always joked about naming his arms, Lucius and Roland, (no idea why), I never have named mine, until this moment. So if you know anything about me, I instantly made the left arm Integrity and the right arm I just wung it and came up with “Resilience”.

My curious kindergartener asked what resilience was, and I didn’t even know how to properly define it. Great name, huh?

So of course, I went to ChatGPT and asked it to explain resilience to a fiveyear- old, and it gave the perfect definition.

Verbatim, it said:  “Resilience is kind of like being a superhero who keeps going even when things get a little bit tough. So, if you fall down or something doesn’t work the first time, you just try again and you get back up and you keep going. It’s kind of like having a little bit of bravery and a little bit of bounce.”

Hell yeah, that’s exactly what I meant!

Whew.

His and my eyes lit up as the app spoke to us.

A superhero!? No better way to explain some muscle. No better definition to teach a lesson.

He said, “I want to be resilient!” I told him he already is, I watch him do it everyday.

I told him the most important part of being that superhero who gets up and bounces back is to remember the need to be one in tough times. To realize that’s what’s needed in tough times. A little bit of bravery goes a long way.

Something to reflect on…Where can you be more resilient in life? Where have you given up where you could have pushed through? Where do you wish you were a little braver in a situation? Sometimes you need to be the super hero YOU need. Sometimes others need you to be resilient.

I know one thing for sure. The world would be in a much better place if we all tried to get 1% better at being resilient everyday.

I close with this, you can’t change the past, but your actions can possibly change the future. Be brave next time. You might still have time to make the call today. Say what you need to say. Are you currently down? No one helping you up? What are you waiting for? Be the super hero you need.

P.S.: Have you ever named your arms? If not DM me your arms new names! My Facebook and instagram handles are @ryanchowansky - looking forward to some great ones!

Ryan Chowansky is the owner of  Bluffton Builders, LLC, www.bluffton.builders.