The 5 essentials of resilience

At the age of 62, Charles Bradley was able to realise his dream of becoming a soul singer and songwriter. As a young man, Charles experienced homelessness and spent time sleeping on subway trains. He enrolled in the Job Corps and trained as a cook. People told him that he looked like James Brown; he could sing but he was too shy to tell anyone. Later, he did become a singer and made his living as a James Brown tribute act.

After being discovered while performing as a James Brown tribute act, Bradley was encouraged to develop and record his own material. People said that Charles sang from his soul; many of his songs drew on his life experiences.

Charles was signed by a record company, and his story was also told in the 2012 documentary Charles Bradley: Soul of America, detailing his struggles in life. I watched the film and was humbled to see how this man had come through and made it. His story made me think about resilience. What helps someone keep going through difficult times?

So what is resilience, and can we develop it? The dictionary defines it as the “ability to recover from or adjust to misfortune, change or disturbance”. People respond to adversity and change in different ways, and resilience can involve adapting to difficult circumstances and finding ways to move forward. Think of it like a spring or an elastic band that has the ability to be stretched and return to almost the same shape, but not quite.

I attended a seminar on resilience where Mandy Rutter of Validium presented four areas to consider when thinking about resilience:

Physical

How you look after yourself, including physical activity and taking enough rest and recovery for the life that you lead, can be important. When we're under pressure, we may also notice changes in our breathing and physical tension. Taking time to pause and look after our basic needs can be one part of supporting ourselves during difficult periods.

Emotional

Making sure to make time for fun and enjoyment is important, and making time for things that lift your mood can matter too. So too is having challenges and finding your own opportunities in life. Having people in your life who are important to you and who you are important to can help when you're facing difficult times.

The ability to think about your situation differently and take another perspective can also help. Having independent support for yourself, either from a friend or a professional such as a coach, can also be helpful.

Spiritual

For some people, spirituality is related to their faith if they have one; for others, it is about how they live their lives and understanding their beliefs and values and living their lives accordingly.

This can become an issue when, for example, the values of an organisation a person belongs to or works for change, and the person no longer feels at one with that organisation.

Mental

Think about situations you've coped with before. What helped? Which strengths, strategies or resources could you adapt to the situation you're facing now? Drawing on what has worked well in the past and adapting it to the situation facing you now can be useful when dealing with change or difficulty.

Social integration

I also add social integration to this list. Being connected to a social network, friends, family, or a group of like-minded people who can provide support, connection, or a listening ear can help us feel as though we belong.

Bradley’s story is an extraordinary example of a career developing much later than might normally be expected. He continued performing for many years before finally receiving wider recognition in his 60s. Bradley died in 2017, but his music and the story of his long journey to recognition remain part of his legacy.

We can all learn something from Charles. I am not suggesting that we can all become soul singers! We can’t control every challenge or outcome, but understanding what helps us cope, where we can find support and what has helped us through difficult times before may leave us better prepared when life tests our resilience.