Resilience doesn’t come naturally.
It is the result of consistently choosing to do the smart thing and never being discouraged even when things are not going the way you want them to.
This is true for both genders.
However, women especially have to face many challenges, obstacles, and unexpected setbacks in their lives.
There is this tendency for society to depict women as fragile and needing the protection of males.
This narrative is one of the obstacles women face in life.
Thankfully, some resilient women make it their business to keep on challenging the status quo.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks…
The ability to never back down…
The ability to stay focused on the goal amid adversity…
This is resilience, and it’s not built into a day.
What do the most resilient women in the world have in common, given that they come from different backgrounds and cultures?
Mindsets!
They are the common factors that all resilient women have.
Mindsets affect everything so if you have been meaning to set yourself apart as a resilient woman, here are the ten mindsets that set them apart.
The Most Resilient Women In The World Embrace These 10 Mindsets
1. Courage
Growing up, I used to think of courage narrowly.
To me, courage was what special forces soldiers displayed in the war movies…
It was the ability to face extremely dangerous circumstances without feeling fear and still never back down.
I still think that is peak courage, even if I now realize that they also feel fear.
Courage is not the absence of fear but the determination to act despite it.
However, I now realize that every one of us is more courageous than we think.
The ability to wake up and brave a very unpredictable day is courage in itself.
This is an unconscious habit for most of us.
The most resilient women in the world are not just courageous; they are intentional about it.
They love challenges and will never shy away from it.
Rather, they face challenges head-on.
It is that ability to take a forward step when every other instinct is screaming at you to retreat.
From Margaret Thatcher becoming the first female British Prime Minister to Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock flying around the world solo…
These women have one thing in common: the courage to act when no one else would.
2. Optimism
People sometimes mistake pessimism for being realistic.
It is not.
The reality of a situation doesn’t have to be only negative.
So, if you only project negativity towards ideas or situations, you are not being realistic.
You just have a negative mindset.
The most resilient women in the world know that optimism is the greatest defense against the constant barrage of negativity from the world.
Hence, they wear optimism like an armor.
They choose to focus on the bright side of every situation.
So, rather than fold and back down in the face of challenges, they focus on the silver lining in the situation and just keep on pushing.
They have a positive outlook on life, and that helps them become successful regardless of the obstacles that come up in their way.
Optimism is a mindset that everyone should have.
It can help you keep on pushing even in the dark days.
3. Ability to adapt
Change is the only thing that we can rely upon to be constant in this dynamic world we live in.
Since the beginning of time, nature has always favored those who have proven that they can adapt to just about any situation.
This is one of the major things that resilient women have mastered…
The ability to adapt to any situation.
They know how to discern the direction in which the wind of change is blowing and can turn in that direction to achieve their goals.
They are constantly looking for ways to remain relevant in a world that keeps evolving.
They know how to transform obstacles into stepping stones to success.
This is because they truly take the “if life gives you lemons, make lemonades” quote seriously.
If you want to be a resilient woman, you need to develop the ability to adapt to any situation.
Life isn’t always soft and you won’t always get what you want but what you do with what you have matters a lot.
4. Self-reliance
Most resilient women have this independent mindset that makes them rely on themselves more than on anyone else.
They have learned to never second guess themselves or doubt their abilities.
Hence, they know better than to distrust their instincts.
They trust their instincts, and whenever they feel an opportunity presents itself, they seize the opportunity even if everyone else thinks it’s a bad idea.
They are utterly self-assured but not overconfident.
There is a thin line that separates them but the resilient woman is not overconfident because she doesn’t overestimate her abilities.
She is just confident in her capacity to create and utilize opportunities.
5. Perseverance
Life is not a sprint.
Instead, it is a marathon.
Resilient women know this, and this knowledge is what makes them stand out.
They understand that the journey to success is not short.
Instead it is a long journey fraught with various challenges and obstacles that can only be surmounted by persistence and the determination to keep going despite everything.
This is a great mindset for our generation because I have observed that most people in this generation are impatient to succeed.
They want to become successful quickly.
They want to be rich fast…
So when they don’t get what they desire when they do, they just get tired of trying.
And they don’t realize that life doesn’t rush, only people rush.
If you want to be a resilient woman, you need to adopt the mindset that life is a process, and you will endure it as you go through all the processes to finally attain your goal.
6. Empathy
Most people don’t value empathy in our times, and when they pretend to, they tend to misinterpret it.
Empathy is the ability to walk in another person’s shoes.
It is the sincere desire to help someone in their journey of life.
I know many people have told you to be concerned with yourself alone, but in our journey in life, we need to learn how to help each other.
I once saw a movie about a team of special forces soldiers infiltrating an al-Qaeda stronghold.
They completed their mission regardless of the odds and ensured that everyone came out alive.
This only happened because they were ready to help each other.
Empathy is not just the ability to feel sorry for people, it is also the readiness to help them out.
Resilient women are women who have empathy for others.
They have a genuine desire to help others, which fuels their resilience.
7. Introspection
Introspection is gradually becoming a lost art.
We are now more ready to blame others for our actions than to look within us.
Introspection actually creates an improved sense of self-awareness in us.
It helps us understand our strengths and weaknesses and how to improve ourselves.
This is one of the major mindsets that fuels the most resilient women in the world.
They know that there is always room for improvement and they are constantly on the lookout for such opportunities.
They are not ready to put the responsibility for their actions on someone else, and because of this, they end up trying to improve all the time.
If you want to be a resilient woman, then you must always have the mindset that there is always room to be better.
Keep introspecting and finding more ways to develop.
8. Problem solving
One thing is certain…
Not everyone is a problem solver.
This doesn’t mean that we all can’t solve problems, rather, it means that most of us don’t bother trying to develop that ability.
This is one thing that sets resilient women apart.
They have cultivated a mindset of problem-solving.
They see themselves as problem solvers and proceed to solve problems creatively.
Even when they don’t solve the problems, they attempt to do it.
For me, it is the intention that matters.
If you want to be a resilient woman, you need to develop this problem-solving mindset.
Don’t be daunted by problems, rather you should find ways to solve the problem or at least, attempt to solve the problem.
9. Growth
The most resilient women in the world have a growth mindset, and this is what powers their results.
They are not deterred by challenges because they view even failure as a school to build them for future successes.
I observed an astute businesswoman in Nigeria popularly called Nwanyiakamu for her internationally recognized pap products, “Bubez Pap.”
She built the business from the scratch then had a mighty set back that would’ve destroyed a smaller woman.
I am thoroughly inspired by her growth mindset and how she bounced back from it and is back to business in a better way.
The growth mindset over striving for perfection and crumbling when things go awry is what makes a resilient woman resilient!
9. Purpose
Above all, resilient women are driven by a sense of purpose.
This sense of purpose is the guiding principle of their lives.
It provides direction and meaning to their lives.
Purpose is what keeps a resilient woman going despite the hurdles they come across.
In her words, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples,” Mother Teresa expressed a desire to create as much change as she could with her actions.
This was what she did.
Her purpose was to show love to the poor and teach them to love others.
That was her guiding light, and it influenced all she did.
A purposeful woman is a resilient woman.
You can’t separate the two.
So, if you want to be a resilient woman, you need to truly discover your purpose.
What do you love to do?
Let that be your guiding light and soon…
You will find yourself doing “small things with great love.”
Let the stories of resilient women in history inspire you to rise above your circumstances and find true purpose.
Cheers to a generation of resilient men and women who are making their impact known in the world!