Mental Strength and Resilience/मानसिक शक्ति और लचीलापन

By - RKM GURUGRAM
25.04.26 03:23 PM

The Bhagavad Gita teaches: “Elevate yourself through the mind; do not degrade yourself; it is both friend and enemy.” It tells us “I can,” yet creates fear and doubt. With positive thinking, good company, and willpower, we overcome challenges. Mental strength begins with a self-aware, open mind.

मानसिक शक्ति और लचीलापन
​(By Sapna Sarkar from Indore)

मैने मानसिक मजबूती कैसे विकसित की

मानसिकता में अस्थिरता अपने ही, चरम सीमा पर अड़ी थी
चारों तरफ जीवन के उथल पुथल से, मैं उलझी हुई पड़ी थी
नकारात्मकता ही मेरे चारों ओर से, मुझे घेरे हुए ही खड़ी थी 
हर बात में मन बुद्धि के युद्ध में, खुद से उलझी और लड़ी थी

वास्तविकता को जब मैंने, सहज स्वीकार किया 
जो भी है उसे श्रद्धा पूर्वक, मैने सब अपना लिया
पूर्ण समर्पण के साथ, ईश्वर पर मैंने आश्रय किया
मन को स्थिर कर, प्रभु ने आत्मविश्वास भाव दिया

स्वयं पर संयम रख के मैं, अब हर कार्य को करती हूं 
थोड़ा सोच समझ के मैं, स्वयं में ही विचार करती हूं 
खुद को सम्हाल के ही, परिस्थितियों से मैं लड़ती हूं
काटें भी है जरूरी , जीवन में रंग फिर भी भारती हूं

वक्त मुश्किल है लेकिन, आसमान तो अपना होगा
विश्वास के पंख लगा के, ऊंची उड़ान तो भरना होगा
रास्तों में भटकाव बहुत है, हर लक्ष्य को पाना होगा
मुसाफ़िर तो बदलेंगे ही, मंज़िल पर ही जाना होगा

जिस दिन से मैंने ये जाना, हर कार्य ही ठाकुर का है
क्या सफलता क्या विफलता, हर प्रसाद उन्हीं का है
द्वंद युद्ध से परे हुई तो जाना, ये संसार भी अपना है
सच तो ये है सुख-दुःख,राग-अनुराग,शुद्ध-अशुद्ध है
भवसागर जीवन में ही, सब कुछ मेरा ठाकुर मय है

What is Mental Resilience?
(by Rashmi Lodha from Gurugram)

When my friend asked about mental resilience, I paused. The instinct was to reach for a definition—but instead something else came up, to what it actually feels like to live it. For me, it first showed up physically. That moment when the body wants to stop, but you don’t. One more rep. One more burpee. Adjusting form when it would be easier to let it slide. Nothing heroic—just a quiet refusal to quit. A kind of integrity towards oneself, I think.

Emotionally, resilience feels like having inner stabilisers. Life doesn’t get easier. But something inside doesn’t fall apart as quickly. Maybe it comes from sitting with oneself, from watching instead of reacting, from pausing.

Mentally, it has meant discipline. Showing up whether I feel like it or not. Not negotiating with moods. Not waiting for motivation. Just doing what needs to be done, again and again.

Spiritually, it begins to look like distance. Thoughts are seen for what they are—not truth, not commands, just movements. They come and go.

And then I realised—this isn’t rare. It’s everywhere. In the man pushing a loaded cart through heat, traffic, and exhaustion. No philosophy. Just endurance. Just continuation.

Which makes me wonder—is resilience something we build, or something we are born with… or maybe both? The body already knows how to heal. Bones break, and yet they find their way back. A seed splits open, and that breaking is what allows it to grow. And yet resilience doesn’t always feel like strength. A few days of illness stripped it down for me. The idea of growth, evolution—all of it just fell away. It wasn’t about discipline or perspective. It was just about getting through the day. And what unsettled me wasn’t just the weakness. It was the quiet resistance to it—a sense that this wasn’t how I should be. That I should be handling it better. Because, after all, my self-image rested on being someone who is resilient. And that had cracked.

Not because resilience disappeared, but because the idea of being resilient didn’t hold. So resilience isn’t always pushing forward. Sometimes it reduces to just staying. To not fighting what is already here.

But even that doesn’t feel complete. A tree in a storm bends. If it doesn’t, it breaks. And it doesn’t stay bent forever. So maybe it’s not just endurance. And not just yielding either. Maybe it has less to do with strength than I thought. And more to do with not needing to be any particular way—even in the middle of difficulty.

Resilience: The Power to Bounce Back
​(by Dharmendra Pandey, Delhi)

The word Resilience comes from the Latin verb resilire meaning to jump back, to recoil or to rebound. The term combines re – (back) and salire (to jump or (leap). Resilience is the ability to withstand, recover, and adapt in the face of adversity, trauma, or stress. It's about being able to absorb the impact and bounce back stronger. We can think of it like a rubber band – we can stretch it to its limits but it comes back as soon as we let go of it. Or a tree that bends against a very strong wind but comes back to its original form when the wind subsides. This happens due to the inborn resilience to cope up with the external or internal pressure.


The same goes with life when we face the stress, challenges or adversities in life. Resilience can be considered as an I CAN attitude, the fighting spirit, the indomitable energy, irrespective of any or many failures, setbacks, challenges or traumas and so on. As is a famous Hindi dialogue saying ‘डर के आगे जीत है’ i.e.  victory is only after we cross the fear of failure. Resilience is the Shield that keeps us facing these demons of stress, setbacks, anxieties.


Swami Vivekananda taught that “greatest sin is to believe that you are weak”. Resilience comes from recognizing our inner strength, which Swami Ji believed is infinite. When we're not resilient, we might struggle to cope, give up easily, and experience burnout. On the other hand, resilience helps us develop coping mechanisms, build confidence, and foster growth. By cultivating resilience, we can navigate life's challenges with more ease and achieve our goals, leading to a more fulfilling life. Resilience is a virtue that can be developed, and it's worth investing in. 

Share your thoughts in the comments below
​In moments of difficulty or uncertainty, where do you naturally turn for support or strength?

Are your current sources of security  primarily external, internal, or a balance of both?

When you look within, what qualities or strengths have helped you endure and grow through past challenges?

RKM GURUGRAM

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Poem Swami Vivekananda Ideas