Real-life resilience - Eleanor Roosevelt

When her husband became the 32^nd President in 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt held her very own press conference. It was the first time ever that a First Lady had held a press conference, but she was adept at public relations and was ready for the moment.

At the time, it was traditional for female journalists to not be permitted into male press conferences, so Eleanor banned men from attending hers.

Eleanor had a statement to make!

It was a punchy opening statement as the new First Lady - she intended to drive a new path forward. Such was her approach to life.  

When FDR, her husband, was stricken with a paralytic illness that cost him the normal use of his legs, she persuaded him to stay in politics. In fact, she began giving speeches and appearing at campaign events in his place. All of this was at least a decade before he would become President. Her impact on FDR’s career was immense. She gained the nickname “the president’s eyes, ears and legs”.

On top of all of that, she hosted radio shows, was a noted diplomat and activist, advocating for expanded roles for women in the workplace, the civil rights of African Americans and Asian Americans, and the rights of refugees from World War 2. She encouraged the action of the United States to join the United Nations and she became its first delegate. By the time of her death in 1962, she was regarded as “one of the most esteemed women in the world.” 

Some opportunities to apply in today’s world.

I love a good quote, and Eleanor has many. Let’s dive into some practical applications by looking at a few of her best quotes.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

Eleanor was a brilliant woman, but she had a difficult childhood. She was notoriously shy as a child, ridiculed for her looks, and orphaned by the time she was 10 years old. Despite all of that, she managed to find a way to become one of the most important people of her generation. Whatever difficulties, we are facing, we must always focus only on what we can control – we lose energy by concerning ourselves on things that are outside of our control, such as the thoughts and opinions of others.

“Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, and the youngest you’ll ever be again.”

Regardless of past failures, today is another chance to be brilliant. Eleanor claimed that the most important task she completed in her life was to work on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the UN…which she did when she was 64! Our best idea might come today or tomorrow, but if we don’t allow ourselves to believe it, we’ll never get there. To practice this, one of the most important words we can use in our vocabulary is the word “yet”. It instantly replaces negative beliefs with the possibility of success.

• “I don’t know how to present well.” -> “I don’t know how to present well yet.”

• “I don’t trust him.” -> “I don’t trust him yet.”

• “They don’t know how to brief properly.” -> “They don’t know how to brief properly yet.”

This is a simple tool to help drive our growth mindset. One small word to completely change our perspective.

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”

Eleanor pushed boundaries and refused to conform on certain matters. She was comfortable doing uncomfortable things, and she zigged when others zagged. She was actually considered a ‘controversial First Lady’, refusing to be silenced in matters that were of utmost importance. She even occasionally publicly disagreed with her husband’s policies.

If we intentionally do hard things, we build up the confidence we need when things get really difficult. We learn to ‘handle hard better’. Every time we go to have a difficult conversation with someone, we’re preparing for every future difficult conversation we will have. When we look at it that way, suddenly it becomes an opportunity rather than a challenge. Again, we’re completely reframing a situation with a simple tactic.

With her story and her actions, Eleanor proves that resilience is a skill. We can all develop it with the right understanding and practice. But we need to practice.

I teach workplaces and individuals the strategies we all need to improve our mindset and resilience. These are preventative ideas and practical tools to improve our mental health and well-being. Set up a free discovery call today.

Until next time friends, stay resilient!

Carre @ Resilient Marketing Minds