Are you resilient?

A few weeks ago I saved a clipping from the Globe and Mail newspaper. The author of the story argued that adults, not just kids, must be resilient. I agree. Life tends to throw lots of frustrations and obstacles in our way.

Kids

Since fathers must teach their kids “how to be”, I have to teach my kids to become resilient. Take this Monday, for example. My son had trouble with one swimming manoeuver and came home frustrated. So now what? I told him if the whole class was easy then the diploma wouldn’t be so sweet at the end. Some things take more time to master. Also, swimming was a perfect cross-training sport for his favourite soccer.

Adults

I thought about this newspaper article again this morning because things didn’t go as planned. After making a thirty minute drive for a tree removal job, I discovered that my extendable Stihl chainsaw didn’t work. Specifically, the chainsaw wasn’t getting power from the engine.

Resilient?

It took me less than half an hour to start feeling angry and frustrated. Clearly, I had to build up some resiliency.

I know myself well. One source of my frustration is not being able to complete my job. I detest aborting my work projects. I detest it.

Another source of my frustration is not being able to fix small engine machines. I prefer handling live plants and doing bedwork.

I am no handyman but my understanding of small engine machines has improved. But I still break out in sweat when I think about my IKEA bunk bed project. My kids were close to landing at YVR in Vancouver and I was still assembling their new bunk bed.

Resilient!

So my tree removal job had to be postponed.  I pulled weeds out of a commercial parking lot instead. I know what you’re thinking. It’s not very glamorous but that’s why this blog exists. I am aiming to show what it’s really like in the field for landscape professionals.

It didn’t start well. First of all, there wasn’t any legal parking close by.  I started weeding once I solved that problem. Of course the very first tall weed I picked was covered in sticky aphids which ended up clinging to my skin and clothes. I could feel my resiliency shooting up.

Since I got my weeding done in good time, I was able to help another crew working close by. And that felt good. I managed to rescue my work day and my kids had a great time in the pool.

Are you resilient?