By Nate Sleger
Rebecca Whitman is a bestselling author, award-winning coach, and host of the Beautiful & Abundant podcast. She focuses on helping people find their "superpower" and live a resilient life. I had the pleasure of interviewing Rebecca on my podcast, where we discussed her perspective on resilience and morning routines.
Why Resilience Matters
When I asked Rebecca why resilience is so important, she shared a beautiful metaphor:
"I think of life as the ocean and we can't really help what life does - life is going to knock us down with waves. And resilience is how long do we stay down? Do we get knocked down by a wave and just drown for 20 years? Or do we say, okay I just got knocked down - what did I learn and get back up?"
As Rebecca describes, resilience is about how quickly you can recover and bounce back when life doesn't go as expected. She compares it to fitness - when we break down our muscles through strength training, they rebuild stronger. Similarly, when challenges in life knock us down, bouncing back resiliently sculpts our soul.
While painful experiences are inevitable, Rebecca stresses that "the joy, the love, the bliss that I have in life, it outweighs the pain and grief." Maintaining resilience helps us remember this truth.
The Power of Morning Routines
So how can we cultivate resilience before challenges strike?
Rebecca is a staunch advocate for developing a consistent morning routine. As she shared:
"I am a huge believer in having a morning practice. Just having a morning practice that you do every single day no matter what - whether you're high, low, in between, whatever's happening in your life."
Rebecca's morning routine consists of:
Drinking liquid collagen
Lemon water to detox
Tea or coffee
Journaling in her daily abundance journal
Reading spiritual literature
Reviewing her schedule
Meditation (when time permits)
She also makes working out a non-negotiable part of her morning routine before eating anything.
Rebecca does this routine daily at home. When traveling, she protects at least 15 minutes to complete part of it before joining friends. If she misses it in the morning, she'll complete components at lunch or in the evening.
As Rebecca shared, having this consistent morning routine - especially the spiritual and physical practices - helps her "get through anything." Even during the toughest moments in her life, she prioritized her workout and abundance journaling.
While not everyone is a morning person, Rebecca suggests trying an evening routine if that's better for you. The key is picking a consistent time and making it a habit.
Reframing Failure and Perfectionism
Resilience requires reframing how we think about failure and setbacks. As a former nationally ranked tennis player, Rebecca used to lock herself in her room for hours crying after a loss, feeling like a failure.
Now, she views life as a classroom and opportunities to learn. As Rebecca puts it:
"I had to reframe failure...now I reframe it as either I get what I want and yay I got what I want, or I get to learn something."
This mindset shift empowers her to go after big goals and dreams without fear of failing.
Rebecca also cautions perfectionists to be careful with words like "would have," "could have," and "should have." She calls these "words to self-flagellate" and beat yourself up.
Instead, talk to yourself with love and compassion as you would a close friend.
If you catch yourself being self-critical, Rebecca suggests pausing and replacing it with an affirmation like "I am enough. I have enough. I am willing to set myself free."
Key Takeaways
A few key tips from Rebecca on how to live a more resilient life:
Develop a consistent morning routine - Make time for spiritual practices, journaling, and exercise. This strengthens your foundation to withstand challenges.
Reframe failures positively - View failures and setbacks as opportunities to learn rather than reasons to beat yourself up.
Speak to yourself compassionately - Be mindful of the words you use when talking to yourself. Replace harsh criticisms with loving encouragement.
Surround yourself with joy - Foster relationships, hobbies, and experiences that bring you joy and love. This happiness outweighs grief and pain.
Rebecca ended our conversation by inviting listeners to connect with her through her website, social media, free workshops, and coaching programs. She has so many wonderful resources available to help you create a balanced, resilient life.
I'm grateful to Rebecca for sharing her insights and personal experiences so openly. Morning routines, reframing our mindset, and daily practices can make a huge difference in cultivating resilience. I hope reflecting on Rebecca's journey inspires you in creating a foundation to thrive through life's inevitable ups and downs.
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