This past Monday, I ran my fastest 5K ever, just under 24 minutes, which is about 7:42 a mile… with my left hip and left shoulder entirely out of alignment. I followed up with a quick weight training session and a six-mile run 24 hours after the race. This mental state does not come easy; it took me overcoming an incredible amount of adversity to ranging from a dysfunctional childhood to a double mastectomy with reconstruction to a terrible haircut and toenail infection and a car accident that left my car totaled in 2020.
I did not grow up with an extended family. My immediate family was so disjointed I never relied on them for support, physically or mentally. Over the years, I learned how to pivot direction quickly and keep it moving forward despite the obstacles in my way. Because of the countless situations, I have overcome, I am an eternal optimist today because I know firsthand every difficult situation is temporary and will pass.
I have also developed resentment when I hear the word “Resilience” being passed around so lightly in 2020 as a buzzword because candidly, to be resilient does not come easy; in fact, it comes with a hefty emotional price tag. From a personal standpoint, it means overcoming lots of heartaches.
From a business standpoint, resilience means toughing it out through economic blows, bankruptcies, and layoffs required to pivot with the changing times.
I have a deep appreciation for organizations that can withstand the test of time, such as Ford. People who know me know I am infatuated with Ford.. but not for the reasons most would think.
I grew up in metro Detroit when the automotive industry imploded; five of my automotive-related employers filed for bankruptcy. Upside mortgages were the new normal; people had to make the heartbreaking decision to file for bankruptcy and leave everything behind to start a new life in a different state (Why states like Georgia have a high Michigan transplant rate) or tough it out and try to find a job in a market that literally imploded almost overnight.
Michigan was the only state to lose population between 2000 to 2010.
Built Ford Tough
While some automotive manufacturers struggled to survive and others bailed on Detroit and set up shop elsewhere in the States, Ford stayed true to their motor city roots where they still stand today. This same concept applies to other organizations that are still standing 100+ years later. It takes serious resilience to survive; resilience is not a word to be taken lightly.