Spiritual Sparks: Running on Empty? Think Again

Resilience: You're not as depleted as you feel

A young shorebird known as a Bar-tailed Godwit astonished scientists by completing the longest nonstop flight ever recorded by a bird.

Weighing little more than half a pound, the four-month-old bird left Alaska and flew more than 8,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean before landing in Australia eleven days later. It never stopped for food, water, or rest.

Before beginning the journey, the Godwit transformed its body into a flying fuel tank, storing enormous reserves of energy. Guided only by an internal navigation system, it crossed a vast ocean on its very first migration.

Nature sometimes reminds us of a profound truth: living creatures often carry far greater reserves than expected. We are no different. Within us lies the capacity to endure difficulty, adapt to change, and continue forward: a quality we call resilience.

✨ 3 Ideas

1. Resilience comes from within

Resilience is the strength that enables us to continue when life becomes difficult. Elizabeth Edwards described it as “the ability to adjust to the new reality we face.”

From a spiritual perspective, resilience is not merely a psychological skill. It draws upon the inner strength within us, a deeper dimension of our being.

Even when circumstances shake us, that deeper essence remains intact, allowing us to adapt, recover, and move forward.

2. Hope strengthens resilience

In a remarkable discovery, a violin built by a Jewish prisoner in the Dachau concentration camp was opened for repairs nearly 80 years later. Inside was a hidden note explaining the instrument’s origin. The violin later came to be known as the “Violin of Hope.”

The name captures an important truth. When people hold onto hope, they find the strength to endure circumstances that might otherwise feel unbearable.

Hope reminds us that the present moment is not the final chapter. It speaks to the core of the human spirit and gives resilience the courage to keep going.

3. Resilience grows through our daily choices

It’s been said: If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit. Perseverance reminds us that resilience is not one long race but many short races, each requiring the courage to continue step by step.

We rarely develop resilience alone. The support of friends, family, and community often provides the encouragement to persevere.

Through these choices, the resilience within us gradually emerges, helping us face life’s challenges with growing resolve and confidence.

✨2 Quotes

“If you weaken in a day of adversity, your strength is limited.”
— Proverbs 24:10

“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
— Muhammad Ali

❓1 Question

Where in your life would resilience make the greatest difference right now?

A magazine company once installed a computer to send renewal notices to subscribers whose subscriptions had expired. Something malfunctioned, and before the error was discovered a rancher in Colorado received 9,374 lapsed-subscription notices.

Eventually the company received a letter from him containing a check for one year’s renewal and a brief handwritten note: “I give up! Send me the magazine.”

Persistence eventually won the day. Resilience often begins with the same simple choice: to keep going.

Until next time,
Wishing you a week of steady resilience and renewed hope for the journey ahead,

Rabbi Ze'ev Smason

P.S. When life becomes difficult, what helps you keep moving forward? I’d be pleased if you share your answer.

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