As military spouses, we are no strangers to challenges and the need for resilience. Whether it’s frequent relocations, long deployments, or adapting to new environments, we face unique obstacles that test our strength and our patience. In a post-pandemic era where many of us are still shifting through a very different “normal”, it’s become very clear that in order to thrive and not just survive that it does truly take a village.
And while many of us don’t have the luxury of having our village close to us due to military relocations, the next best thing is to form your online village. And there are some really cool things about forming your own online village, you’re limitless on who’s in it–you’re no longer held to the constraints of who is close by. Oh no my friend, the world is your oyster now! You see when you open yourself up to viewing a challenge such as never being close to family, and now see it as an opportunity to expand your connections, you’re actually exercising your resilience muscles.
Resilience muscles play a central role in military life–the more resilient you are and the quicker you adopt a forward-moving perspective–the more you’ll thrive. Rather than just merely bouncing back to normalcy after each challenge–aka each move, each deployment, or each transition–true resilience lies in bouncing forward and applying the lessons learned from those experiences.
Many of us don’t really consider ourselves resilient-warriors, yet when was the last time you faced a challenge and the only way forward was through? I don’t know about you, but I can literally name several instances last week where I called upon a member of my online village to help me navigate a way through.
So who’s in your village? Who do you call upon when you need advice on a way through? Your village should include friends, mentors, and even professionally trained coaches. Getting a mix of perspectives gives you a bigger picture when it comes to finding opportunities through the challenges. Gaining insights from all parties can help you see things that you never would have seen before–making you more resilient and focused on overcoming challenges with ease rather than dwelling on the problems. Highly successful people all have one thing in common–they’re resilient. They also don’t do it alone. They all have a village of people that they call upon to help them navigate through changes and challenges.
Take out a pen and paper and write down the names of people that are in your village. If you’re struggling to come up with names, this is your opportunity! You’re now aware that you need more people in your corner and your only choice is to go out and find them. While the pandemic was horrible, it did teach us that anyone is accessible online and that hasn’t changed. If you’re tired of feeling like you’re just surviving, it’s time to take a step towards thriving. If you’re wanting to really get intentional about thriving, consider how working with a professional coach could help you get to the next level.
#MilitarySpouses #BusinessCoaching #Resilience #Thrive
