Hardy

Now this is a word that we don’t use nearly often enough these days.

“I’m interested in that thing that happens where there’s a breaking point for some people and not for others. You go through such hardship, things that are almost impossibly difficult, and there’s no sign that it’s going to get any better, and that’s the point when people quit. But some don’t.”

~Robert Redford

Life has taught me that hardy is something that I want to be, a trait that I want to cultivate. There are all sorts of breaking points, and I have a few memories of quitting this or that, like playing the flute, early on that didn’t sit well with my competitive nature.

Hardiness consists of these characteristics – resilience, optimism, flexibility and creativity. I read this in periodic research that I have done and I believe it because it has been true for me. The beautiful thing about hardiness, is that while some people are inherently hardier to begin with, it is something that can be learned and strengthened over time.

a hardy plant, Lily of the Valley

I do not lean toward optimism, but I can turn my thoughts in that direction. My mom was quite the optimist and I could regularly compare my Eeyore mindset to hers, and sometimes be amazed that her belief that things would be ok seemed to actually make them ok.

I’ve learned resilience can be born from stubbornness combined with a willingness to learn. Realization that resilience is something that I am mastering came slowly.

Flexibility and creativity also make sense as parts of the hardy equation. Creativity provides strengths and helps recharge batteries. And flexibility releases some of the pressure from stress.

I am mere days away from the beginning of a new decade, so while I hope that you get something out of reading this post it is admittedly more of an exhortation to myself that I know how to be hardy. I hope that you do too.