3 Tips to Be More Resilient

This is an important day for me. My first thought upon waking up: one year as a cancer survivor. One year ago, I underwent surgery as part of treatment to remove three malignant tumors.

My second thought: more accurately, one year cancer free. My cancer survivor journey actually started on the same day in February 2018 that I received the call from the doctor confirming that the tumor they biopsied was malignant.

Upon hanging up the phone, I looked down at a stack of work on the coffee table that I had been focusing on prior to the call. I reached out to pick up a blank sheet of paper and marker. Writing the date at the top of the paper, I then wrote: The Day I Became a Cancer Survivor.

This was the moment in time that I committed to doing all I could to survive, and eventually grow through, this challenge.

Life is random. It brings us unexpected and unwelcomed news.  As I sat to write this blog today, my sister called to ask for prayers for her friend’s two-year-old daughter who is undergoing surgery today for brain cancer.  

We all have seen bad things happen to good people. I do not believe that all things happen for a reason.  I most certainly believe that in all things, we can find meaning and purpose.

My friend, Simon T. Bailey, recently came to town to speak at a conference, and he graciously accepted my invitation to film a Resiliency Matters TV show.  

Simon, a Top 10 American corporate/association speaker, is a breath of fresh air. Beyond his three decades of experience in the hospitality industry and deep knowledge about creating a culture where every person feels that they matter, he is dedicated to openly sharing his own journey and lessons in hopes of helping others along their own life path.

After we wrapped up my show, Simon turned the tables, asking if we could film an impromptu “Bailey Daily”.  This included him asking me to share my top 3 Resilience Tips.

Off the top of my head, this was my guidance:

1. Know yourself and be true to yourself.  Resilient leaders deal with their own stuff. Why? Because you can’t lead others past your own point of healing.
2. Stay in balance and manage your energy. This starts with taking care of the basics, and extends to mastering how to recoup energy throughout each day. If you bust it all week, thinking that you can recover on the weekend or after the next big deadline, you will dig yourself into a hole
3. It’s all about the mindset. Admittedly, this is a broad tip. I share a bit about the fascinating area of placebo/nocebo effects (mainstream article here). We are just scratching the surface of harnessing the power of our minds to create lives of resilience, wellness, and success.

Here’s the video of our conversation:

It’s brief. As Simon says, “If you can’t say it in seven minutes, you probably can’t say it.”

As he also says… and oh, how I love this:

“I love you. I believe in you. And there’s not a darn thing you can do about it.”

Now, pass that beautiful reminder on to someone today. It will make you both more resilient!