Our government is rather obviously incompetent, beholden to special interests, corrupt, and not able to govern in any reasonable way. The current train wreck over the debt ceiling is just another example of this. Oh, they’ll come to an agreement, probably at the last possible moment as they did with the budget. But further train wrecks await. In part it’s a genuine discussion about the role of government, but mostly it’s just empty posturing by a political class that is fast losing any real legitimacy. From such things revolutions are born.
So, whether you’re a politico working towards change or just want to get survive in peace, a key quality here is resilience.
Resilient individuals don’t just survive, they thrive. They do well during good times and bad. It doesn’t matter what life throws at them.
Becoming resilient should be the goal of any sane person in this increasingly crazy world.
It’s a state of mind. A way of thinking only achieved through hard work. It’s something you assemble one step at a time.
Making the choice to become resilient is the first step.
Key qualities are open-mindedness and ability to act based on the situation in front of you, not as you would wish it to be or what your preconceived notions say it should be. Ideologues by definition are not resilient because they can’t morph to deal with new situations. But one also needs core values that don’t morph.
Turbulent times can also be times of great opportunity, especially if you stay resilient.