artwork by Rene Magritte symbolizing building resilience—light shining through darkness as a metaphor for inner strength.

Building Resilience: How to Improve and Thrive

Have you struggled with self-doubt, career setbacks, rejection, loss, illness, or a broken heart? Life can be tough, but you can rise up by building resilience. Aiste, architect and founder of Floa Design, shares 7 pillars to help develop your resilience. Make it easy to remember by relating it to art by René Magritte.

Proven Strategies from Real Experience

With over a decade of experience at Zaha Hadid Architects, Aiste has tested these strategy pillars in real life. They have been essential in overcoming challenges and achieving success.

Vision

1 PILLAR

Always have a vision of why you’re doing what you’re doing. A clear purpose acts as your north star, making any failure seem small in comparison.

Ask Yourself:

Why am I doing this?

What do I want to achieve?

Acceptance

2 PILLAR

Accept what has happened. Once you embrace reality, new opportunities will present themselves.

Ask Yourself:

Does it still bother me?

Curve

3 PILLAR

Life fluctuates like a curve. Good days and bad days come and go. Trust that difficult times will pass.

Ask Yourself:

Am I moving forward?

Am I open for change?

Failure

4 PILLAR

See negative situation as positive opportunity.

Treat failure as an opportunity to innovate and shift your perspective.

Ask Yourself:

What’s the opposite of what just happened?

How to achieve it?

Attention

5 PILLAR

Invest your attention wisely. Focus on what you can change and let go of what’s beyond your control.

Ask Yourself:

Does my choice/work depend on others?

Am I in control of my choice?

René Magritte eye illustration – focus and attention in building resilience

Space

6 PILLAR

Enjoy wide open space-whether it’s looking at the stars or hiking up a mountain for a panoramic view. It helps gain perspective, clarity and see new ideas.

Ask Yourself:

Do I think about same issue again and again?

Art

7 PILLAR

Surround yourself with art and design. It has the power to strengthen your emotional core and build resilience.

Ask Yourself:

When was the last time art uplifted my day?

Floa Design luxury Honey Earrings scaled up as a contemporary sculpture and envisioned within the iconic Blavatnik Building at Tate Modern, London.

Resilience isn’t just about surviving – it’s about thriving through life’s ups and downs. By embracing vision and failures, you can shape emotional strength and build a resilient mindset.