In June 2020, amid COVID-19 and after George Floyd’s death, I wrote a post on equanimity—staying calm, clear, and brave in difficult times. It’s a go-to for athletes, leaders, parents, and anyone seeking composure when they need it the most!   People keep coming back to it because its message remains relevant.  

To confront and hold our human experiences, particularly the emotional and difficult ones, with an open and balanced disposition is a courageous skill that we can develop and improve with practice.   For example, with yoga, we practice equanimity by holding challenging poses with smooth and calm awareness.  Breathing through the urge to react is encouraged and we learn to ground ourselves to handle physical, mental, and emotional limits with greater ease.  

Today, we cannot look away from the devastation of the LA fires or the political change our nation is facing.  I recently used the power of equanimity when having a difficult conversation that lead to a productive outcome.  My mantra was, “open-minded, kind, and curious.”   With equanimity, we can take positive and effective steps forward. Please read the original article here.

Finding Equanimity in Difficult Times

As many of you know, my performance consulting business focuses on helping individuals and teams/groups discover and strengthen the inherent gifts within them so that they can be influential contributors and leaders in their disciplines.  The qualities that allow us to be resilient, gritty, focused, and powerful in competition and crushing goals are the same qualities our community and world needs now more than ever. 

The most impactful tool I have found to ride the waves of uncertainty and be calm under pressure is the ability to be mindfully aware of our thoughts and reactivity patterns and choose the best way to respond and take action.

When doing things for immediate results, such as a win or to argue a point of view, we miss all of the necessary ingredients for well-informed and sustainable contributions.    Here are some examples; the quick bait reactivity to the media’s confusing reporting of current events, rather than taking control by informing myself of the facts.  When someone makes a comment that differs from my beliefs, and I begin to feel upset, I breathe and know that this is the exact moment to listen and have an honest conversation. 

It is this place of equanimity that provides the opportunity to learn what could be the most valuable way to understand each other.  The intent to connect is the most important thing.

This past week I listened to a meditation on Resilience by Sebene Selassie on my 10% Happier App.  She brought in Martin Luther King’s words on Peace,

“Peace is not the destination, peace is the way, equanimity is not the destination, equanimity is the way.”

I was curious about the exact definition of Equanimity and how it applies to Resilience.  It can be crucial to how we deal with and grow in difficult circumstances. 

Recognizing our shortcomings is difficult, but essential for growth. Mindful awareness of our ignorance, without clinging to old beliefs, sparks necessary change. Equanimity helps us process challenges calmly, avoiding emotional escalation. Each moment is a chance to start anew, building resilience.

Using equanimity in tough times helps us understand our mistakes and reactivity with compassion and become powerful change agents. Equanimity is not indifference or inaction; it guides us to the right action.

Peace, resilience, and equanimity are practices we must continually develop.