The irony: Resilient people don't feel resilient

I was asked to be the wrap-up keynote speaker at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Sick Kids is a leader in pediatric medicine and it was an honor to wrap up the Nursing week to talk about resilience.

During this keynote, one of the magical things about my consulting work happened: I learned from the audience. I always think if I'm doing my work right, if I remain open and curious, I also learn something, and I did.

This time it was when I had gone through the characteristics of resilient people, had praised this group of leaders for navigating Covid (to the extend that they opened up adult beds!), and a nurse emotionally said, "But I don't feel resilient." Of course you don't. Resilient people are constantly stretching, falling, brushing the dirt off their knees, getting up again. None of that feels pretty or clean. And it is resilient.

Check out this video, completely inspired by this brave, resilient nurse: