August 1, 2025 Resilience: Bouncing Back Stronger
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Listen to audio, or read this meditation:
Hello, friends! Today we're talking about something I absolutely love – resilience!
Resilience is our ability to bounce back when life gets tough. It's like being a rubber ball instead of an egg. When an egg falls, it cracks. But a ball? It bounces right back up!
Life will knock all of us down sometimes. Kids might fail a test, lose a game, or fight with friends. Adults face job problems, money worries, or health challenges. But resilient people don't stay down for long. They get back up, dust off, and try again.
My son once worked for weeks on a science project. The morning of the fair, it broke! I watched his face crumble – but then something amazing happened. After a good cry, he said, "I can fix part of it." That's resilience in action!
The wonderful secret about tough times is that they can make us stronger. Each challenge we overcome is like exercise for our character muscles. The more we practice bouncing back, the better we get at it.
So how do we help our kids build resilience? Here are some friendly tips:
Let them solve problems (don't rush to fix everything)
Talk about your own mistakes and how you overcame them
Use hopeful language: "You haven't figured it out YET"
Celebrate effort more than results
Share stories of people who overcame big obstacles
Remember that resilient kids aren't spared from hard feelings. They feel disappointed, sad, or frustrated just like everyone else. The difference is they've learned these feelings don't last forever. They've practiced moving through tough emotions instead of getting stuck.
One of my favorite sayings is: "Fall seven times, stand up eight." That's resilience! And resilient people live richer, more adventurous lives because they're not afraid of setbacks.
When we teach our children resilience, we're giving them a superpower for life. They'll have the courage to try new things, bounce back from disappointments, and keep growing through all of life's challenges.
Now that's a gift worth giving!
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