“The American Heritage Dictionary defines resilience as ‘the ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune to retain its original shape.’ But is this always true?

What about those times when recovery will require more of us than simply snapping back into our original shape – those times when the transformation will be deep and painful and profound?

Misfortune strips away our illusions that we can be smart enough, good enough, lucky enough to get through life untouched. Spiritual growth is not about learning how to obtain only that which we would prefer for ourselves. The true purpose of spiritual training is to unclog the channels that connect us to divine love.

Mystic philosopher Aldous Huxley explains that to do so, we must take on the task of engaging with the circumstances of our lives – no matter how trivial or threatening – without malice, greed, or voluntary ignorance. Rather, we must rise to the challenges that arise moment by moment with love, courage, and understanding. We must search our souls for hidden resistance, pockets of arrogance and selfishness.” – Carol Orsborn, The Art of Resilience: 100 Paths to Wisdom and Strength in an Uncertain World