Secrets of the World’s Most Resilient People

This has been a year of years in the change, anxiety, and disruption departments. We’ve had to work purposefully to stay resilient, maintain our warrior spirit and stay solution-oriented in a world of headlines based on fear, doubt and disaster. Take a deep breath… I’ve got great news for you. No, I didn’t just save a bunch of money on my car insurance. I’ve found the secrets of the most resilient people in the world. 

I read an article in National Geographic about a group of people in Bangladesh who live on the flood plains created by three major rivers. These people inhabit countless small islands that appear for a time, disappear and then reappear somewhere else based on rainfall, floods, the tides, etc. Despite this precarious and ever-changing lifestyle, the families raise crops and kids and build a successful life on these islands called “chars”. National Geographic stated that to live a life like this is like “winning an Olympic medal in adaptation.” 

One of the men interviewed had moved once a year for his whole life – and he’s sixty! But he’s also raised seven kids who “never missed a meal”. The houses are able to be disassembled and reassembled quickly, the families bags are always neatly packed next to their beds for a quick move. The man said, “No matter how much we worry, the end is all the same.” He says the real secret is “not to think too much”. Despite living in a tough and dynamic environment, these people thrive. What can we learn from them? 

1) Go with the flow. Instead of constantly worrying about things to come or getting hung up on circumstances, the char people literally go with the flow. They farm an island for as long as they can and when the river washes it away, they find a new one to farm. They don’t curse God, the economy, get an ulcer from worry, bemoan their existence or complain about their fate – they simply go with the flow. 

2) Be prepared for change. The char people are always prepared for the changes they know will come. They don’t hope, wish, want, wait or live in fear. Instead, they keep their possessions in order, ready to move when they must, and most importantly they have a mindset that is ready too. This is the key to resilience – having a mindset that is not only prepared for change, but expects it. When it arrives, you are ready to succeed.   

3) Don’t think too much – act instead. The char people feel that the situation concerning the ever-changing river “is what it is”. They don’t overanalyze, complicate or assess the situation in painful detail as we do. If we’re faced with a situation we can’t change (dictator boss, tough economy, loss of a loved one, etc.) we also see – it is what it is. The char people survive and thrive in these moments because of this: when it is what it is, they do what they must do. They can’t change the river or its flow, but they can take action to keep succeeding in an extremely difficult environment. 

The char people of Bangladesh may be the most resilient people in the world because they have happily lived, for generations, in one of the most unforgiving and varied environments in the world. They thrive in those tough conditions because they know the secrets to resiliency – and now you do too. Stay strong on your warrior path!