A few days ago I was lucky enough to spend a weekend in the bush with a good friend of mine. The couple who invited us to stay are both in their late 70′s and have been married to each other for 54 years – they met each other when they were 16.

This is the first time I had visited their home, which is situated in the heart of the bushveld, along a rutted and almost impassable track.

They live there alone, with only the company of their domestic helper during the day. Water is pumped up from a small pump that is situated five kilometres or so away from the house and electicity comes from solar panels and a wind generator (which they maintain).

This couple have spent their lives living all over the world in remote locations and had endless colourful stories to tell.

Stories about growing up in a rural community, shearing sheep, riding broncos, teaching underprivileged children in South America (in Spanish!) and now being involved in environmental and wildlife conservation programmes.

(And here I am referring only to our lady host!).

They are both quite frail now and have had a series of health challenges, from knee and hip replacements to a stroke, and yet they are totally dedicated to their projects and are enthusiastic about their lives.

Their stories and lives are inspiring! No predictable, dull or “comfort zone” existence for them.

They made me think a great deal about the importance of having a resilient personality – to be able to bounce back in the face of crises and adversity. (Resilience is an importance concept in positive psychology).

I believe that we all need to foster a sense of resilience in order to live our lives

to the full and to live to our full potential.

In future posts I will talk about ways to develop and strengthen personal resilience…