Resiliency

I am amazed at the resiliency of humans.

There are times where I encounter a situation and think to myself, “How did that person manage to overcome that situation?” Take for example, the story of Robert Downey Jr., also known as the one and only Iron Man of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For years, he struggled with drug addiction, to the point where he lost his family, career, and almost even himself. Upon meeting his now-wife Susan, he committed to turning his life around, and eventually landed the Iron Man role that would bring him back into the limelight and solidify his image as a role model and inspiration for superhero lovers everywhere.

Compared to his story, and the countless other people that have faced even greater adversity than that, my daily struggles seem to only amount to a fraction of their hardship. And yet, my challenges consume my thoughts, and even my boulders seem like they are the hardest ones to move.

If they can be resilient in the face of adversity, maybe so can I.

The age old adage “Everyone is struggling with something,” feels true to the point where sometimes it feels almost inconsequential. If we are all dealing with difficulties, what gives me the right to voice my challenges to others? I would rather not burden others to the point where my boulders become their boulders, but also I feel that sometimes I may not be able to handle the weight of the burden by myself. Is asking for help ever a burden, though? I personally feel encouraged when I am asked for help; helping lift some worry off of someone else’s shoulders makes my problems feel a little lighter too, somehow.

Maybe resiliency is better developed through shared problem solving, and being there for each other. I’d like to think that we can support each other in pushing our boulders, so that we may all feel a little lighter and more resilient together.

– Bhavin