The trouble with writing blog posts to a mnemonic is that eventually you get stuck.  ‘R’ is for… What?  What would be most helpful to readers on their journey to recovering their balance?

I have the wonderful Chris Johnstone to thank for arriving at R is for Realism.  I’m just reading the new edition of his  book, ‘Find Your Power‘ (Permanent Publications).  His chapter on ‘Bouncing Back from Failure and Crisis’ is full of the sort of down-to-earth, refreshing, woowoo-free  advice you need when you’re in bad situation.

It’s fundamentally about being realistic, and by that I don’t mean the more aggressive, abusive dirivative ‘get real’. I mean building a resilient response that will form your foundation as you move forward.  Chris also talks about ‘realistic optimism’ – seeing the world as it is while still working towards a positive outcome.

Not in a jar…

Recovering your balance is about getting back to your real self.  Not the one you ‘keep in a jar by the door’,  Eleanor Rigby-style. I mean the self that you are when you’re living your values, acknowledging both your strengths and your weaknesses as part of the complexity of your being. It’s the you that is able to weigh up a situation and determine the most authentic way forward, to be in the moment when it matters, to own your equality with others.

When you’re getting negative feedback, especially if it’s abusive, it’s easy to sink back into your least resourceful state and absorb everything that’s thrown at you.  So if someone says you’re useless, and repeats it, eventually you can end up believing it.  But somewhere inside you is the authentic core that knows this feedback is damaging and untrue.

Recovering your balance is enabling the real you to stand up and be counted.  What’s your next step?