What’s the Worst That Could Happen?
Building Resilience by Thinking Negatively
When life throws you a curveball—and let’s face it, it always does—what’s your go-to strategy? Most people say, “Think positively!” And sure, positivity is great, but what if there’s more to it? What if resilience isn’t about avoiding the bad, but about walking straight through it, and realizing you’re stronger because of what you’ve already faced?
Resilience is a skill, and like any skill, it gets better with practice. And practicing resilience doesn’t have to be complicated. No vision boards required. Sometimes, it just starts with two small, unconventional exercises:
Think about the worst-case scenario
Sometimes, imagining the absolute worst-case scenario can be strangely… calming. What’s the worst that could happen if you bomb that big presentation? Maybe your coworkers give you a new nickname that sticks for a week. Or perhaps you accidentally share your messy desktop screen filled with unread emails and abandoned online shopping carts. Embarrassing? Sure, but also incredibly relatable. (And probably a great icebreaker at the next team lunch.) And even if the worst did happen, would the world stop spinning? Probably not. You'd still be here, ready to tackle another day. There’s power in realizing that even the worst isn’t actually so terrible.
Remember the hard times you’ve already overcome
Think back to the toughest moments in your life. Maybe you lost a job, faced rejection, or just felt completely lost. And yet, you survived. You adapted. You grew. And you can do it again.
This reminds me of something Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson once said (because, let’s be real, The Rock has wisdom for everything). Whenever he’s nervous—whether it’s about a movie, a speech, or a big moment—he thinks back to the toughest times in his life: being evicted at 14, arrested at 16, or feeling ridiculous in his early wrestling days. He brings himself back to those moments, remembers how he outworked everyone, and uses that as fuel. It’s not about ignoring the bad stuff; it’s about acknowledging it and letting it push you forward, firing you up.
Resilience isn’t about avoiding life’s curveballs. It’s learning to catch them, and maybe even throw them back with a little flair. Bad things will happen—it’s a fact of life. But the more you face those challenges head-on, the more you build your resilience muscle. And just like any muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
Edge Thought of the Week
“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.”
The next time life throws something at you, face it head-on. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” and “How far have I already come?” You might be surprised by how much perspective (and strength) those two questions bring.
Until next time,
Laura