When tasked with embedding ambitious resilience in a class of 30 six year olds I called on the great British stand up comedian Peter Kay.
In one routine, he discusses biscuits – a subject close to my heart. Peter compares the weakling Rich Tea biscuit (which dissolves as soon as you so much as show it a mug) with the battlecry of the indestructible Chocolate Hobnob “Dunk me again!”
After unpicking the difference and linking that to learning behaviours, we coined the phrase “Be More Chocolate Hobnob”. I even got badges printed, and now it’s one of my designs in my T-Shirts Of Truth store. Here’s Emma sporting hers.
👉 Resilience isn’t keeping a stiff upper lip or being a doormat – it’s the length of time between falling flat on the floor and getting back up again.
Or, as we call it in our house, Bouncebackability (not a real word, but it should be!)
💥 Resilience isn’t dished out at birth – it’s a muscle that can be Zumba-ed into a Michelle Obama bicep or left to go limp and soggy like the lettuce my son keeps removing from his sandwiches.
💎 Resilience comes in different flavours, and just like ice cream, there is a huge difference between vanilla and tutti-frutti-minty-choccy-chip-with-sprinkles. Obviously, some things are easier to recover from than others.
I recently had the honour of being a guest on Dr. Liz O’Riordan’s Podcast. Liz is a wonderful human and breast cancer surgeon who has navigated breast cancer three times. I agreed to be a guest on her show as she is clearly a Resilience Ninja I can learn from! We chatted about the power of resilience and the transformative journey towards realising our true strength and potential.
If you’re struggling to see your strength, have a listen. You’ll finish the episode feeling like you’ve had a kind kick up the bottom!