The Green Sheet Online Edition

July 13, 2020 • Issue 20:07:01

Inspiration

Resilience in trying times

The payments industry's feet on the street are a resilient lot. After all, ISOs and merchant level salespeople contend with rejection routinely and keep going, knowing they will receive plenty of negative responses before they reach a prospect who says yes. The same goes for entrepreneurs and owners of small and midsize businesses as a whole. Resilience is required to face all the ups and downs daily life in business presents.

Today, however, all of us are contending with upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some sectors are thriving; others are suffering. Many businesses are opening up under strict safety guidelines after months of closure. Working parents do not yet know whether their children will return to school in the fall—and under what conditions. People whose loved ones are hospitalized cannot sit beside them. Many living alone are relying on Zoom to maintain a semblance of community.

Thus, more people are on edge and exhausted. A can-do attitude remains but is a little bit muffled. One essential task at this time, I believe, is to nurture resilience in ourselves and in others during these challenging times. And there are several ways to do that.

Things to do

Here are some actions that help foster resilience:

• Strengthen your support system: We cannot gather with friends and loved ones in the ways we're accustomed to right now, but we can and must find ways to stay in touch that work for us. Video meetings are a lifesaver for some. Ongoing group texts are lifting other people's spirits. Some are finding comfort in the real-time give and take of old-fashioned phone conversations.
• Limit news intake: During times of crisis, it's important to stay abreast of developments but not become obsessed by them. If you find yourself checking news sites or watching cable news channels frequently throughout the day and evening, set a daily time limit for each of these activities and stick with it.
• Strive for excellence, not perfection: Perfection is illusive and can lead to self-criticism and inertia. Excellence, on the other hand, is attainable, as well as inspiring. It can lead to recognition, motivation and further excellence in all that you do.
• Focus on behavior, not victories: If you cultivate positive, ethical habits, these will ultimately serve you well in the long term rather than focusing on manipulation and even deceit that might lead to short-term, short-lived victories.
• Take action: There is much going on the world today that we cannot control, but there are things each of us can take to make a difference in the lives of others. For example, many payment companies have stepped up to help merchants adapt to new ways to sell and accept payments. Some citizens are working to get needed resources to communities in need. From small to large actions, being of use to others is a winning way to life ourselves and our communities.

No matter how divided we may seem at times, we are all in this together. Gently reminding ourselves and those we meet along the way of that fact will lead to further connection and resilience.

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