Resilience is a buzzword in coaching and leadership. Executive coaching models teach us that resilience is about mindset—how we frame adversity, manage our thoughts, and push forward. It’s a valuable approach, but is it the only way?
I’ve just returned to Vanuatu, where I lived for three years before spending the past year traveling. During the time away, the country experienced a massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake—just one of many natural disasters they face regularly. Sitting on the Ring of Fire, Vanuatu is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Cyclones, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are simply part of life.
Today the town is closed off, businesses relocated as buildings are demolished and plans are made to rebuild. In 2023 we experienced two back-to-back cyclones that left many without homes and the power supply disconnected for a month in some areas.
Yet, despite this, Vanuatu is consistently ranked as one of the happiest places on Earth. Why?
Resilience without Mindset coaching
The people of Vanuatu don’t read books on resilience. They don’t attend coaching programmes on how to reframe their thinking in the face of hardship. They live resilience.
When disaster strikes, they don’t dwell on it. They support each other, rebuild, adapt, and move forward. Their resilience is not a mental exercise—it’s an embodied way of life, rooted in community, acceptance, and an unshakable connection to nature.
- They have each other. The energy of the country is tribal. When something happens, no one is left alone.
- They accept what is. There’s no resistance, no “why me?”—just a quiet acknowledgment of reality and a focus on what comes next.
- They live in harmony with nature. Their survival is based on the land and the sea. When homes are destroyed, they rebuild. When resources are scarce, they share.
- They are present. Happiness doesn’t come from external achievements, but from deep connection—to people, to the planet, to the moment, to life itself.
The Missing Piece in Western Resilience Coaching
Most coaching models focus on internal resilience—developing the right mindset to overcome challenges. What if true resilience isn’t just about how we think, but also about how we live, connect and support each other?
The people of Vanuatu offer us a different blueprint. A heart-centred model of resilience that is:
❤️ Community based, not the individual – that draws on community strength to pull them through
❤️ Rooted in acceptance, not blaming or complaining
❤️ Connected to nature, not disconnected from it
❤️ More about being than thinking
What if we expanded the conversation? What if resilience wasn’t just about mental toughness, but about deep belonging, adaptability, and emotional presence?
Maybe the happiest, most resilient people aren’t the ones with the strongest mindset—but the ones with the strongest hearts.
What do you think? Is it time to shift the way we coach resilience?
One Response
I have just spent four wonderful days among these lovely people – it’s my second visit to Vanuatu- and had the pleasure of chatting at length with a few local people about the earthquake, their lives and their values. I couldn’t agree more with you, Glynis, this is a resilience that’s hard to teach but is their very lifeblood. As we talked about, is this an acceptance of vulnerability as a fact of all human life or deep-rooted faith and community roots? I think that it’s having the serenity to accept all that comes their way and adapt as they can. I’m going to miss all the genuine smiles, such an antidote to those prefabricated in most so-called sophisticated countries. Once more I’m reminded by people more connected than me that it is the simplest things in life that add up to happiness, not a garage full of cars and a $5million Macmansion.