Your emotional well-being and your self-worth can be an important component that will help you as you move forward toward the DIVINE PLAN God has for your life. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”- Philippians 1:6. When we value who we are, in spite of circumstances or disappointments, we face challenges head on. We all have challenges, whether they are external or internal. Your external challenge could be that brownie or ice cream, he or she. Your internal challenge could be intrusive thoughts about your past hurts or failures.

Resilience could be that key component to help you move forward! Resilience is the ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes.

God created us to be highly capable and creative problem-solvers who can become stronger and more flexible in stressful times. Psychologists call this “emotional resilience,” and it’s a key ingredient as to why some people seem to sail through stress without a care in the world. In order to build emotional resilience, it simply requires being aware of ourselves and how we react in difficult situations

How many times have you heard “It’s Your Time to move forward toward the Plan that GOD has for you” Your TIME has a specific purpose. The purpose is specifically correlated with who you are. It’s Your Time! It’s your time to move forward past the disappointment; it’s your time to move forward in your career choices, it’s your time to make a precise decision about your relationships; it’s your time to take care of your health; it’s your time to become emotionally stable. You can choose or add what is specifically YOU!

Want to take that step and embrace your time, but have a little way to go in building that emotional resilience? Here are 3 ways to start:

Focus on things that matter to you and your well-being.

It’s not your job to identify the purpose of others (though sometimes that is easier than identifying your own purpose). And it’s definitely not your job to achieve things for other people. God cares about you and needs you to focus on your mission and your well-being.

Be motivated by setting realistic goals.

The easiest way to feel like a failure is to set goals that are too big too fast. Start small to build your confidence, both in yourself and in God’s provision. Then you can set God-sized goals with the knowledge and trust that both of you are ready to make them happen.

Be relentless even if there is a setback. Be determined.

Have you ever achieved anything of value without encountering some sort of challenge? There are countless stories of great biblical heroes who accomplished amazing things. But none of them ever did so without having to overcome obstacles. Setbacks are part of the process. Keep on pursuing your purpose!

Moving forward may not just request resilience, but require it. Being resilient is being able to spring back quickly into shape after being bent, stretched, or squashed! Being bent, stretched or squashed! Situations may have bent you out of shape and stretched you to the point of exhaustion. Maybe your thought or your plan was squashed (no one listened or was interested).

If you are experiencing an external challenge or internal challenges, I want to let you in on something; your situation may not have an immediate solution, but you can experience peace despite its pressure. Peace is tranquility, a state a mental calm and serenity with no anxiety. This type of peace comes through our reliance and meditation on God’s word and past victories. Be resilient and strong!

Have you ever backed down from a goal due to a challenge or setback that seemed insurmountable at the time? Reflect on that situation now. Was there a way to push forward that you ignored or didn’t think of? How can you apply what you learned in that situation to the challenges that you’re facing in this season?