Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Resilience is a topic that is often discussed but rarely understood. Do you genuinely know what resilience is? I always say to know and not to do is not to know. Instead of defining it, I want to draw from the experience and wisdom of Lieutenant Brian Murphy.

For those that don’t know, Lt. Brian Murphy was the first on the scene of the Oak Creek Shooting on August 5th, 2012, when a lone gunman opened fire on the attendees of a Sikh Temple. He survived 15 bullets to his body and lived to tell not only his tale but the tale of the victims and survivors of the event.

Lt. Murphy recently shared his story on What’s Your 1 More Podcast. While typically a financial leadership-centered podcast, the lessons Lt. Murphy gave are a reminder that no one is immune to the effects of adversity, but your response to it can change everything. 

There are three main elements that we leaders need to take with us every day to continue growing despite the many challenges we face. 

Always Remember the Breath

Have you ever been scared of something? What happens? Your heart rate increases, maybe you start running, and suddenly, your breathing speeds up. This is the fight or flight response, and it’s something that affects humans even in seemingly unthreatening situations. 

One lesson Lt. Murphy revealed during his podcast appearance is that the breath is the key that can center the body and the mind in any situation. In fact, it is essential to human performance.  

When faced with something bigger than yourself, you need to come back to the breath and keep it even-paced. This calms the mind and helps you tackle the problem in front of you. When your mind is calm, the body follows as a response. Remembering this simple trick can be a game-changer. In Lt. Murphy’s case, it was the decider between life and death.

With this first element in our tool belt, let’s look at the next.

Chardi Kala—Optimism in the face of adversity

Chardi Kala is a beautiful concept taught within Sikhism. It refers to resilience in the face of adversity or, more specifically, an enduring sense of joy and optimism. As lofty as this idea may seem, it begins to take on a different shape when you understand the true weight of its meaning.

One of the victims the gunman attacked was the temple priest, Baba Punjab Singh. The attack didn’t kill him instantly but led to the rest of his life spent fully paralyzed, only able to communicate by blinking. He was shot while kneeling down to pray. 

Even though Baba faced a traumatic loss, he still lived his life feeling like he was blessed to be chosen for such pain. He didn’t back away from this challenge but allowed it to point toward what he was capable of enduring. 

I now bring this concept with me whenever I feel like I’m facing something impossible or painful. Optimism isn’t easy; it’s one of the hardest things you can do. That’s why the strong are the ones who can honestly look at challenges as a blessing. With each challenge, an opportunity arises to grow stronger than it.

Choose to Be the Warrior

(Warning: graphic)

During the horrible incident, a fight ensued for no more than 10 seconds between the gunman, a large, military-trained veteran who had planned for this day for months, and a simple temple attendee, Satwant Singh Kaleka.

While fifteen women hid in a pantry, Mr. Kaleka, who was already shot, dove toward the assailant’s legs and injured him with a small knife. After being shot again, he held the assailant with so much force that, in his final moments, the nails ripped from his fingers.

That 10 seconds bought the other attendees enough time for the cops to arrive and confront the assailant. But let me ask you a question. Given the information I just gave you, who was the warrior in this situation?

If you said Mr. Kaleka, you’re only half correct. The truth is everyone who lifted a finger to help that day was a warrior. Anyone who stopped what they were doing to come to the aid and try to accomplish something bigger than themselves. 

Mr. Kaleka is a hero. But it doesn’t take running into a burning building or amassing tons of strength to be a true warrior. A warrior, as Lt. Murphy puts it, is anyone who faces things they don’t want to do and does it anyway. Just 10 seconds of strength could change everything for you.

What’s Your 1 More?

So what’s the takeaway from this? Why use the example of something so harrowing and intense to symbolize daily life? I use it because it illustrates the inward battle we face, and if “normal” people can overcome something so oppressive, surely we can overcome any challenge we see in front of us.

A leader, whether in business or not, is someone who faces adversity with control, optimism, and a warrior mindset. Sometimes the battle can be as simple as getting out of bed in the morning when everything is telling you not to. Sometimes it can be as simple as making the moral decision over the financially lucrative one. 

Either way, if you’re looking to upskill and grow as a leader, entrepreneur, or investor, these are the elements that separate the good from the great.