When a door closes, we often find an ‘open window’ in our lives. I found that in my last semester of college I hated teaching music to a classroom of kids with my student teaching experience. (I was a Music Education major). A door definitely closed for me. The open window came in the form of private teaching. I found that I love one-on-one teaching. I’ve since taught private flute and private art lessons. I’ve even music and art classes, but on my own terms, which makes all the difference.

What these life lessons really teach us is resilience, which empowers people to accept and adapt to situations and move forward. According to the definition from the American Psychological Association, (APA), “resilience refers to both the process and the outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences.”

Building resilience takes time and effort. Having support from people in your life is a great addition. Self esteem and self-confidence help in building resilience.

Resilience can be described as ‘the art of thriving.’

Six steps to developing resilience are:

Flexibility in planning and organizing
Adapting to change
Determination in pursuing goals
Knowing your risks
Protecting your weak spots

Resilient people have been known to:

Rise to a challenge
Are committed to goals
Exhibit empathy
Think positively
Recognize challenges

Some ways to build resilience are to nurture a positive view of yourself; move toward your goals; make connections; accept that change is a part of life and leads towards personal growth; take decisive action.

Resilience builds on itself and leads to opening windows into a gratifying and successful life.