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Wisdom from UNC

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What will you ask of yourself?  The Alexandros Papaderos story - the jagged piece of mirror....

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Story of Purpose - Gregersen ? are the answer

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Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals that will Make You Happy

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Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals that will Make You Happy

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This article talks about how gratitude boosts natural anti-depressant hormones in the body.

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How Complaining Rewires Your Brain for Negativity

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How Complaining Rewires Your Brain for Negativity

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An article that talks about the effects of complaining on your brain, hindering resiliency.

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Research shows that most people complain once a minute during a typical conversation. Complaining is tempting because it feels good, but like many other things that are enjoyable-such as smoking or eating a pound of bacon for breakfast-complaining isn't good for you.

Your brain loves efficiency and doesn't like to work any harder than it has to. When you repeat a behavior, such as complaining, your neurons branch out to each other to ease the flow of information.

This makes it much easier to repeat that behavior in the future-so easy, in fact, that you might not even realize you're doing it.

You can't blame your brain. Who'd want to build a temporary bridge every time you need to cross a river?

It makes a lot more sense to construct a permanent bridge.

So, your neurons grow closer together, and the connections between them become more permanent. Scientists like to describe this process as, "Neurons that fire together, wire together."

Repeated complaining rewires your brain to make future complaining more likely. Over time, you find it's easier to be negative than to be positive, regardless of what's happening around you.

Complaining becomes your default behavior, which changes how people perceive you.

And here's the kicker: complaining damages other areas of your brain as well.

Research from Stanford University has shown that complaining shrinks the hippocampus-an area of the brain that's critical to problem-solving and intelligent thought. Damage to the hippocampus is scary, especially when you consider that it's one of the primary brain areas destroyed by Alzheimer's.

Complaining Is Also Bad for Your Health

While it's not an exaggeration to say that complaining leads to brain damage, it doesn't stop there.

When you complain, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol shifts you into fight-or-flight mode, directing oxygen, blood, and energy away from everything but the systems that are essential to immediate survival.

One effect of cortisol, for example, is to raise your blood pressure and blood sugar so that you'll be prepared to either escape or defend yourself.

All the extra cortisol released by frequent complaining impairs your immune system and makes you more susceptible to high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It even makes the brain more vulnerable to strokes.
It's Not Just You ...
Since human beings are inherently social, our brains naturally and unconsciously mimic the moods of those around us, particularly people we spend a great deal of time with.

This process is called neuronal mirroring, and it's the basis for our ability to feel empathy. The flip side, however, is that it makes complaining a lot like smoking-you don't have to do it yourself to suffer the ill effects. You need to be cautious about spending time with people who complain about everything.

Complainers want people to join their pity party so that they can feel better about themselves. Think of it this way: If a person were smoking, would you sit there all afternoon inhaling the second-hand smoke? You'd distance yourself, and you should do the same with complainers.

The Solution to Complaining

There are two things you can do when you feel the need to complain. One is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. That is, when you feel like complaining, shift your attention to something that you're grateful for.

Taking time to contemplate what you're grateful for isn't merely the right thing to do; it reduces the stress hormone cortisol by 23%.

Research conducted at the University of California, Davis, found that people who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood and energy and substantially less anxiety due to lower cortisol levels.

Any time you experience negative or pessimistic thoughts, use this as a cue to shift gears and to think about something positive. In time, a positive attitude will become a way of life.

The second thing you can do-and only when you have something that is truly worth complaining about-is to engage in solution-oriented complaining. Think of it as complaining with a purpose. Solution-oriented complaining should do the following:

Have a clear purpose. Before complaining, know what outcome you're looking for. If you can't identify a purpose, there's a good chance you just want to complain for its own sake, and that's the kind of complaining you should nip in the bud.

Start with something positive. It may seem counterintuitive to start a complaint with a compliment, but starting with a positive helps keep the other person from getting defensive. For example, before launching into a complaint about poor customer service, you could say something like, "I've been a customer for a very long time and have always been thrilled with your service ...."

Be specific. When you're complaining it's not a good time to dredge up every minor annoyance from the past 20 years. Just address the current situation and be as specific as possible. Instead of saying, "Your employee was rude to me," describe specifically what the employee did that seemed rude.

End on a positive. If you end your complaint with, "I'm never shopping here again," the person who's listening has no motivation to act on your complaint. In that case, you're just venting, or complaining with no purpose other than to complain. Instead, restate your purpose, as well as your hope that the desired result can be achieved, for example, "I'd like to work this out so that we can keep our business relationship intact."

Bringing It All Together

Just like smoking, drinking too much, and lying on the couch watching TV all day, complaining is bad for you. Put my advice to use, and you'll reap the physical, mental, and performance benefits that come with a positive frame of mind.

How do you avoid complaining and stay positive? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.
This article first appeared on Linkedin.

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How complaining rewires your brain for negativity

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Research shows that most people complain once a minute during a typical conversation. Complaining is tempting because it feels good, but like many other things that are enjoyable-such as smoking or eating a pound of bacon for breakfast-complaining isn't good for you. Your brain loves efficiency and doesn't like to work any harder than it has to.

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One of my favorite biographies, The Little Woman tells the story of Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China, whose life of overcoming was demonstrated on so many levels. She left home to take the Gospel to China with no mission board, little training, and ten dollars in her pocket. The perilous trip saw her detained in Russia before evading the Russians with local help and a Japanese ship. With the Sino-Japanese War waging around her, she struggled to bring the basics of life and the fullness of God to orphaned children. In 1938, when the region was invaded by Japanese forces, Gladys led more than 100 orphaned children over the mountains to safety, despite being wounded herself. Time after time, Gladys Aylward displayed incredible strength and resiliency. The Little Woman is an inspirational story that tells of one woman's determination to serve God at any cost.

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Effects of Fear Induced Heart Rate Increase

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Effects of Fear Induced Heart Rate Increase

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There are predictable ways in which the body responds to stress, as indicated in an individual’s increase of heart rate. The following chart provides a great visual of the effects of hormonal or fear induced heart rate increase that I have used to help others understand what is happening during times of fear, stress, and trauma.

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Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II

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Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II

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“Who understands the thrill of seeing the first bright flowers of spring so clearly as one who has just lived through the long, hard winter?”
― Darlene Deibler Rose

This is the true story of a young American missionary woman's courage and triumph of faith in the jungles of New Guinea and her four years in a notorious Japanese prison camp. Never to see her husband again, she was forced to sign a confession to a crime she did not commit and face the executioner's sword, only to be miraculously spared.

"Their voices were raised in a sweet benediction:" God be with you, till we meet again..." Their song released the waters of bitterness that had flooded my soul, and the hurt began to drain from me as my tears flowed in a steady stream. The healing had begun... As the Catalina became airborne, carrying me away from the bomb-scarred terrain... and the mountains of my long bondage, I handed over eight long years of my life into the faithful, wise hands of a gracious God Who alone could help me to understand the mysteries of deep pain and suffering."

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Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers

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Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers

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We tend to think of children as being naturally resilient, however, this is not true. It is important to remember that parents need to teach children  skills in order for them to learn how to be resilient.

"We tend to idealize childhood as a carefree time, but youth alone offers no shield against the emotional hurts and traumas many children face. Children can be asked to deal with problems ranging from adapting to a new classroom to bullying by classmates or even abuse at home. Add to that the uncertainties that are part of growing up, and childhood can be anything but carefree. The ability to thrive despite these challenges arises from the skills of resilience."

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Resilience guide for parents and teachers

Children's problems include adapting to a new classroom, bullying by classmates, or abuse at home, but resilience is the ability to thrive despite these challenges.

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Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.

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Refuel: How to balance work, life, faith, and church - without burning out. By Kate Middleton

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Refuel: How to balance work, life, faith, and church - without burning out. By Kate Middleton

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“When stress can be managed, it tends to be very good and even necessary for health and growth. Without it, the mind and body weaken.” (Southwick & Charney)

Stress is a massive issue in our 21st century culture, and the Church is by no means exempt. Harnessed stress can facilitate greater wisdom, strength, and growth, which in turn, produces resilience. Stress provides a platform for developing resilience; without experiencing stress, we are unable to develop mechanisms for overcoming. In her book Refuel, Kate Middleton (no, not the Kate Middleton) provides Christian leaders not only with tips to identify and understand the dangers of stress, but also demonstrates that although inevitable, stress need not be a negative factor in our lives. She provides helpful ideas for reducing and managing stress in a biblical way.

Kate Middleton is a British pyschologist and director of a Christian mental health organization in London. She has become quite influential in the area of mental health in the UK church. I include her book as it is likely that she is lesser known in North American circles

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I came across this story many years ago and highly recommend both the book and the movie. It is a powerfully written autobiography by Ernest Gordon that displays all aspects of resiliency. It follows the captivity of prisoners of war forced to build part of the Burma-Siam railway during World War II, their quest for physical and inner freedom, and the choice to forgive in the midst of their trauma.

What makes this story stand out is the attention given to the role of meaning, purpose, growth, and mental fitness for resiliency.  After surviving the ‘Death Ward,’ Ernest Gordon started a university in the prisoner’s camp in order to add purpose and direction to the lives of the men. At first, the school was held in secret, but eventually the Japanese allowed it to be held in the open. The men who chose to study discovered hope, and it was through this hope that the men were able to exemplify respect and forgive their captors, even while they were still in the camp.  As a result, many of the POWs experienced a revival of faith. The story is told under the title To End All Wars, Miracle on the River Kwai, and Through the Valley of the River Kwai. It was made into a very compelling movie in 2001, which I also highly recommend.

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The Rev. Ernest Gordon of Princeton University died early Wednesday, some 60 years after he began to find his religious faith in the squalor, cruelty and death of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp along the Kwai River. He was 85.

Mr. Gordon, the retired dean of the chapel and university chaplain emeritus, died at Princeton Medical Center after a long illness, his family said.

The story of Mr. Gordon's ordeal and how he forgave his captors is told in the movie ''To End All Wars,'' to be released this spring. It is based on Mr. Gordon's 1962 book ''Through the Valley of the Kwai,'' which will be re-released this year by HarperCollins.

As a young Scotsman, Mr. Gordon never thought much about God. He often said he began to find him when he was captured by the Japanese in the summer of 1942 and forced with thousands of other captives to build a railroad through the jungles of Burma and Siam (now Myanmar and Thailand) along the Kwai River.

A typical daily ration was a lump of rice. The men toiled under a broiling sun and in torrential rains. Those whom the Japanese guards considered slackers were beaten or thrown into cages, if they were fortunate. The unlucky were starved to death, bayoneted or beheaded.

''We were treated worse than animals,'' he said years later. ''The conditions were worse than you could imagine.''

But in that hell, he said, he found his salvation. ''Faith thrives when there is no hope but God,'' he said. ''It is luxury and success that makes men greedy.''

Born in Greenock, Scotland, on May 31, 1916, Ernest Gordon grew up in a lighthouse on the River Clyde. His father, James, was an engineer. His mother, Sarah, was an amateur opera singer.

He studied history and philosophy at Glasgow and St. Andrews universities, joined the Royal Air Force in 1936 and survived a plane crash near London in 1937. The next year he became an army officer in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was soon sent to Singapore.

Captain Gordon was wounded in a battle with the Japanese in Malaya in the early days of the war. A company commander by the time Singapore fell in the spring of 1942, he and a small group from his unit escaped to sea in an aging sloop, hoping to land in what is now Sri Lanka. But after nearly eight weeks on the water, surviving on fish, coconuts and rainwater, they encountered a Japanese warship and surrendered.

Japan was hoping to build a railroad through the jungles as an invasion route to India. The tracks would run over a bridge, whose construction was depicted in the 1957 movie ''The Bridge on the River Kwai.''

The men worked from dawn to dark. Beatings were routine. Sickness was everywhere. Early on, the Japanese thwarted an escape attempt by an Australian soldier. ''So he was sentenced to death,'' Mr. Gordon told parishioners at a Good Friday service in Gladstone, N.J., in 1990. ''The Japanese made it a public spectacle.''

But as he was marched before a Japanese officer for beheading, the soldier seemed unafraid, even cheerful. He was allowed to read briefly from a Bible. ''Cheer up,'' he said, seeing the distress in his comrades' faces. ''It isn't as bad as all that. I'll be all right.''

Then, Mr. Gordon recalled, ''He knelt, bared his neck, and the samurai sword flashed in the sun.''

Dozens of men died every day, untold thousands from 1942 to 1945. ''For a long time hate, for some, was the only motivation for staying alive,'' Mr. Gordon said long afterward. ''We hated the Japanese and we would willingly have killed them, torn them apart, if they had fallen into our hands.''

Captain Gordon came down with diphtheria, malaria, typhoid, dysentery, intestinal worms. His 6-foot-3 frame wasted to skin and bones.

When a monsoon flooded the camp, his friends moved him to a higher, drier place -- the camp morgue, where he lay with the stench of death all around. ''I was better off there with the dead than with the partially living,'' he remembered. ''I still have no idea how long I was in there.''

Friends brought Captain Gordon part of their rations. One prisoner gave a guard his watch in exchange for medicine. Another fellow captive made him a cake of rice, bananas, palm sugar and limes for his 27th birthday, on May 31, 1943.

His return from the brink of death inspired his friends, just as their sacrifices had inspired him and convinced him of humankind's basic nobility. He became an unofficial camp chaplain and started prayer services.

The suffering and dying went on until the summer of 1945. Allied planes were overhead more frequently, and on June 24, 1945, they destroyed the Kwai bridge.

The prisoners were moved to the hills outside Bangkok. During the transfer, they passed a group of Japanese soldiers who had been badly wounded. Seeing their suffering, Captain Gordon could not hate them. And, as he often reflected, he knew that if he let himself be consumed by hate, he would be squandering the life that had been given back to him.

With the war's end, the Japanese guards simply walked away.

Mr. Gordon underwent months of medical treatment before his health and weight were restored. He resumed his studies and decided to become a minister, earning degrees from London University and Hartford Theological Seminary in Connecticut. He also received a master's from the Hartford seminary.

Mr. Gordon was ordained in the Church of Scotland in 1950 and came to the United States not long after. He settled on Long Island, preaching in Amagansett and Montauk. In 1954, he became Presbyterian chaplain at Princeton and a year later dean of chapel, a post in keeping with the university's Presbyterian roots.

As dean of chapel, he spoke out often on social issues. He criticized Senator Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin and had the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a house guest. He spoke in opposition to the Vietnam War and for a time was president of the Christian Rescue Effort for the Emancipation of Dissidents, which pushed for the release of Soviet dissidents. He retired as dean in 1981.

His wife of 51 years, Helen, died in 1997. He is survived by his son, Alastair, of Princeton; his daughter, Gillian Crozier, of London; his sister, Grace Kerr, of Ramsgate, England, and six grandchildren.

Mr. Gordon's book, one of several he wrote on faith and other subjects, attracted some off-and-on interest from moviemakers before the producer Jack Hafer acquired the rights.

Early in 2000, Mr. Gordon journeyed to Thailand for a cameo role in the film. There, he embraced another old man, Nagase Takashi, a former Japanese officer who served as an interpreter in the work camps. Mr. Takashi regretted what Japan had done and spent many years publicly urging his countrymen to recognize their guilt, Alastair Gordon said.

The trip back was too much emotionally for the elder Mr. Gordon, who collapsed and had to be hospitalized, his son said. And though Ernest Gordon did not live to see the movie come out, he was treated to a private screening last fall.

Mr. Hafer said the old man turned to him in tears when it was over. ''Jack, you caught the heart of it,'' he said.

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The Rev. Ernest Gordon of Princeton University died early Wednesday, some 60 years after he began to find his religious faith in the squalor, cruelty and death of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp along the Kwai River. He was 85.

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One of the most important qualities of a leader is resilience. Today's leaders are getting barraged with roadblocks, let-downs and failed attempts at success. While we know this to be true, we continue not to discuss the need for resiliency in our organizations. Why?

Perhaps we think of resiliency from a personal perspective. When we think of resiliency, the image comes to mind of a person who just completed an ultra-marathon with two prosthetic legs. We do not think of a leader who went through a grueling year and came out a better leader. While personal resiliency is important, it is a critical component of effective leadership.

The true grit of a leader is not how they perform during the good times but rather how they display emotional strength, courage and professionalism during the most trying times. It is impossible to demonstrate resilience unless you have gone through difficult times. For example, a leader who leads a team during a time of leadership transition, through a period of high turnover, through an organizational restructuring or through a season where surveys revealed poor performance. The harder the leadership challenge is, the easier it is to develop a resilient leadership posture.

I have been there as a leader. While serving in the Navy, I led teams during tumultuous times, including leadership changes, congressional inquiries, and investigations about inappropriate actions at the command. After the Navy, I led teams through culture change, mergers and during regulatory agency inspections.

These are only a few examples of the hard times I have endured that have helped me to become a resilient leader. During these challenging times, my teams relied on me to be strong, composed and to focus on the intended goals. They needed me not to reflect any of the negativity that was surrounding us. They needed a leader who would support them and listen to their concerns, but not allow them to stray from what we were trying to accomplish. They also needed someone who could stand up and be the voice for them and ensure their best interests were kept in the forefront of everything the team did.

Here are four things I have discovered during my journey of becoming a resilient leader:

1. With every struggle comes a tremendous opportunity. These are the times where you can choose to embrace the gift of adversity and use it to strengthen your leadership abilities. Here is where you express your true colors. During these times, you get a chance to show your integrity and your ability to work through the hardest of times. This is your chance to do what is right, even when no one is looking.

2. It is your responsibility to lead through good and bad times. Good times are a reason to celebrate and reward people. However, nothing is more rewarding than coming out of a storm as a stronger leader and a more cohesive team. Welcome the hard times with open arms and use them as a chance to grow yourself and develop the resiliency you need to have sustained success as a leader.

3. Your actions during a crisis serve as a model for your followers. Remember, as a leader, your people are watching you all the time. The way you compose yourself serves as a model for those around you. If you act like a weak leader, the people around you will learn this style of leadership. On the contrary, if you show resilience and strong leadership skills, they will take that lesson forward with them in the hopes of becoming more resilient themselves.

4. Learn from your failures. Adverse times are a great teacher. In his book Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn, John Maxwell says, "Adversity is a better teacher than success if we want to learn from adversity." If you carefully evaluate every mistake, every failure, every obstacle, you will uncover a lesson that will be important for you to learn from to become a more resilient leader.

As my mentor Mark Cole, CEO of the John Maxwell Company, says, "All good leaders have scars on their leadership mantle."

Embrace those scars. Be proud of those scars. They show where you have been, and more importantly what you are capable of. We need to start talking about resiliency in our leaders if we are looking to have sustainable leadership within our organizations. We must start bringing attention to the ways we can increase resiliency in our leaders if we want to run successful companies. Finally, we need to model resiliency so our people will become motivated and inspired to address their own resiliency.

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Council Post: Why Resilience Is Necessary As A Leader

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One of the most important qualities of a leader is resilience. Today's leaders are getting barraged with roadblocks, let-downs and failed attempts at success. While we know this to be true, we continue not to discuss the need for resiliency in our organizations. Why? Perhaps we think of resiliency from a personal perspective.

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Podcast from the BBC

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The Why Factor - Resilience - BBC Sounds

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Catch up on your favourite BBC radio show from your favourite DJ right here, whenever you like. Listen without limits with BBC Sounds.

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Being a university student is tough. There's coursework, midterms, papers, part-time jobs, and extracurricular commitments, all while attempting to maintain a social life and stay healthy! How do you deal with juggling all of that without getting too stressed? Why are some people able to handle everything life throws at them while some of us have a harder time adjusting? One reason is your resilience.

What is resilience?

Resilience is basically the ability to cope with and adapt to new situations. Being resilient means you're more likely to bounce back from minor and major setbacks in your everyday life-everything from school-related stress to personal tragedies.

Why is it important?

It's vital for maintaining balance through difficult and overwhelming times and can serve as a protective measure against deteriorating mental health. This is especially important for university students because having resilience helps students deal with life's transitions and uncertainty.

There are a lot of "firsts" students encounter as you go through your degree. Whether it's your first time being away from home or first time 'adulting,' there's going to be some stress associated with these new changes. Being resilient to the ups and downs of university life is essential to your overall well-being and success. Yes, it can make you healthier! Being resilient is also a quality that employers look for in their employees. So it can also help you big-time with your future career!

And the best part: resilience can be learned. Here's how:

1. Build a support system

Build and maintain relationships with people who will be there for you when everything goes wrong. Joining a group on campus can also be a great form of social support.

2. Don't look at crises as unconquerable problems

In the words of Miley Cyrus, it's not about how fast you get there, it's about the climb. Accepting your lack of control over stressful events in university can be shockingly helpful. Move forward by making a realistic plan of how you will tackle the issue. You're not going to make every goal you set, and there will be times when you make mistakes. Honestly, it's the only way you can really grow.

3. Accept that change is part of life

It's easy to get carried away with to-do lists in university. Accept that some goals you make may be unattainable. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals for the future so you're not stressing about not achieving the impossible. Setting goals will help make any daunting task feel more manageable.

4. Move toward your goals

Even completing a small goal can reduce your stress levels significantly. Ask yourself if there's one thing you can accomplish today that moves you further in the right direction.

Note: Taking time for yourself to de-stress is 100% something that counts as an accomplishment. Make sure your mental health is coming first.

5. Take decisive actions

It's tempting to give up in the face of a challenge, but it will help improve resilience if you take action in stressful situations rather than detaching completely. Remember that avoiding the issue and refusing to make a decision is a decision in itself.

6. Look for opportunities for self-growth

People who have experienced adversity often say they learned something about themselves as a result of their struggle. It often leads to better relationships, a greater sense of strength, and increased sense of self-worth.

7. Nurture a positive view of yourself

Think back on all of your accomplishments, write them down if you have to. It's important to recognize everything you've already achieved. If you trust your instincts over time you will become more sure of your ability to bounce back, because you've been there before and look where you are now! And that is resilience.

8. Keep things in perspective

When you encounter a stressful event or situation it's important to take a step back and look at things with a broader perspective. Think long-term to avoid blowing the event out of proportion (e.g. does failing one assignment mean I'm going to fail the course-probably not!). Will this matter in two months? Two years? If not, it's probably not worth stressing about.

9. Stay positive

Try visualizing the outcome you would like rather than the outcome you're worried about. Now how do you get to that outcome?

10. Take care of yourself

Before all else, your health comes first-physical, mental, and emotional. Do things you love and take time for yourself. Take a deep breath and relax. Hang out with your friends. Read for pleasure. Go for a walk. Go to the gym. Do what makes you feel happy.

Remember:

Being resilient doesn't mean you won't experience hardship, but it decreases the impact a distressing event will have on your overall health. It means the hardship will only make you stronger.

Resilience training

Dal's new Resiliency Project, a partnership between the Dalhousie School of Health & Human Performance and Vendura Wellness, is a project that helps you build awareness, stay accountable, and learn about resilience. There are different videos to watch, an interactive journal component, and "companions" to help guide you through. It takes about an hour a week over 9 weeks, and you'll receive certified resilience training for your resume and Co-Curricular Record. Registration opens soon!
Ainsley surrounds herself with positivity.
Delainey gives herself lots of pep talks.
Delainey Wescott Ainsley Lofstedt

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Being a university student is hard. Building your resilience can help you juggle all the things you have going on and help you bounce back from impactful events. It helps your overall health and it's a great quality to have in your career.

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What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience | Charles Hunt | TEDxCharlotte

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What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience | Charles Hunt | TEDxCharlotte

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What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience | Charles Hunt | TEDxCharlotte

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Article from Entrepreneur.com

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Image credit: Thomas Barwick | Getty Images

8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Resilience is an amazing skill that helps us recover quickly from difficulties. If you are resilient, you have an innate ability to keep getting up when life knocks you down. You have learned how to bounce back and keep going.

We build our resilience by learning to cope with challenges -- it's a process of adapting well in the face of trauma, tragedy or significant stress. Basically, you have to get knocked down in order to learn how to pick yourself back up. Over time, successful people learn not only how to overcome, but to embrace these challenges. They understand that each crisis they face is a chance to learn and grow.

Resilience is an important skill to master in order to be successful for the long haul. Here are eight strategies successful people use to build their resilience and continue to grow beyond the crises that would otherwise hold them back.

1. Build a circle of trust.

We all need people in our lives who we can lean on. Building a tight-knit circle of people you can trust is a key part of strengthening your resilience and weathering difficult times. Close friends, family and loved ones are our social support -- they encourage and motivate us, and let us know that we aren't alone. When we surround ourselves with supportive people, we're able to share our feelings and concerns without fear of being judged.

Studies show that the primary factor in resilience is having caring and supportive relationships both inside and outside the family. People with a high level of social support have less depression and are better able to cope during stressful times. Just remember to reach out and ask for help when you need it!
Related: Social Currency and Your Circle of Influence
2. Reframe how you view stressful situations.

The way we view a potentially stressful situation can either make the crisis worse in our mind or minimize it. This is called cognitive reframing, and it involves looking at things in a way that creates less stress and promotes a greater sense of control and peace. Reframing things in a more positive way can alter our perceptions and relieve our stressful feelings.

This mind trick can actually change your physical responses to stress because your body's stress response is triggered by perceived stress. In other words, if you're constantly feeling like a crisis is looming, your body will react as if that's true and your fight-or-flight response will kick in.

Be aware of how you think about things -- do you tend to be optimistic or pessimistic when considering upcoming situations? Stop yourself from slipping into overly negative patterns of thinking. Instead of seeing a difficult situation as an insurmountable problem, try framing it as a challenge you are capable of overcoming.

3. Take action.

Don't allow yourself to become paralyzed, numb or detached during a trauma or crisis. Remind yourself that you're not at the mercy of events beyond your control -- you can always do something. By initiating action and taking the first small steps, you can gain confidence to take bigger steps.

You can build resilience by learning to take decisive action during critical situations. Don't wait for someone else to swoop in and save the day. Immediately consider what steps you can take and put yourself in command of a situation. How can you pull yourself out of a disaster or dilemma? You can't wish away your problems, and doing so will leave you feeling helpless. Empower yourself and harness the force of your determination to take control and rectify a negative situation.
Related: Are You a Procrastinator? Here Are 5 Ways to Be More Decisive.
4. Have a positive attitude.

The mindset and the attitude you approach a problem with can make a huge difference in how resilient you are when dealing with an impasse or troublesome circumstance. Maintaining a hopeful and optimistic outlook will help you see beyond the current predicament you find yourself in.

Pay attention to negative thought loops you may get stuck in. Catch yourself when you're slipping into stress-inducing patterns of thinking. When you think about the future, do you focus on how things could be better and look for possibilities and opportunities ahead? Or do you dwell on what feel like hopeless problems? Replace these negative thoughts with positive ones.

5. Accept that change is part of life.

Many people spend their lives trying to avoid change. The prospect of facing change leaves them fearful of the unknown. But change will inevitably catch up to you. One important way successful people build resilience is by accepting that change will come. They focus on being prepared for change and they learn to adapt and adjust when change is imminent. Successful people see change as a necessary component of revising the old way and embracing innovation.

We will constantly be experiencing change in our lives, through our relationships and in our physical bodies. Our work environment and our homes will change, and indeed the entire world around us will go through upheavals and transformations.

We must all learn to deal with change and continue to advance and grow through it all. Pay attention to how you respond to feelings of stress brought on by change. Work to reframe how you think about change -- see the possibilities and opportunities that come with any new development.

6. Keep things in perspective.

As the saying goes, don't make a mountain out of a molehill. Your computer may crash, the customer service representative may be rude or unhelpful and you may have lost files or documents that cause you to miss deadlines. In the moment, this may feel like a really big deal. You may find yourself ready to explode, wanting to take your anger and aggression out on others. Before you do, check yourself.

Is your reaction really in keeping with the situation? Yes, it's stressful, annoying and frustrating. But was anyone hurt? Did anyone die because of what happened? Can you recover from this situation? If the answer to the last question is yes, then make sure you aren't blowing things out of proportion.

Remind yourself of what is going well in your life. Consider the best and worst that could happen. What's the worst-case scenario here? Is this situation really as bad as it could get? Probably not. Take action to fix the problem and move on.

7. Build self-confidence.

Sometimes we have to dig down deep and find the strength within ourselves to deal with difficulties. We have to find ways to cultivate the confidence and assurance that we can handle a situation.

Finding your way out of a tough spot is never easy, but you can do it! Find some small thing that represents strength to you -- an heirloom from a parent or grandparent, a pair of shoes you feel amazing in -- whatever it is, use it to bolster your self-confidence. Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you believe in yourself, that you can do this. Stand tall, take a deep breath and move forward.

When faced with a critical situation or a looming disaster, remember what you have been through in your life. You have made it through difficulties before, and you can and will do it again. Believing in yourself and knowing that you can weather any storm will allow you to master resilience and overcome any crisis.
Related: 10 Ways Successful People Push Through Adversity
8. Find everyday joys.

On even the darkest of days, it's possible to find some small thing to be happy about. Even when things are at their worst and you're feeling at your lowest point, you have things to be grateful for. Building resilience isn't just about weathering the storm; it's also about looking for the everyday joys that make life worth living. It's OK to see the humor when life rears up and knocks you down. Being able to laugh in the face of adversity is an excellent way to relieve stress and build resilience.

Also, remember that your overall sense of well-being is supported by taking time every day to take care of yourself, both your body and your mind. Eating healthy foods, exercising and getting enough sleep will give you the resilience to handle daily pressures as well as unexpected crises.

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8 Ways Successful People Master Resilience

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8 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Resilience is an amazing skill that helps us recover quickly from difficulties. If you are resilient, you have an innate ability to keep getting up when life knocks you down. You have learned how to bounce back and keep going.

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Ground Rules for Shaping A Resilient Life

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Ground Rules for Shaping A Resilient Life

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A summary of Gordon MacDonald's take on this issue

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Ground Rules For The Search for Resilience

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A story about a girl who was shot by the Taliban because she advocated for girls' education. She miraculously survived and is now a leading campaigner for girls' education.

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Faith and Resilience after surviving a church shooting

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Faith and Resilience after surviving a church shooting

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He shares about his experience as both a psychology professor and a church shooting survivor, and he offers a perspective on what faith and resilience looks like.

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A recent wave of shootings targeting places of worship-including churches, synagogues, and mosques-has surfaced important conversations about the unique psychological and spiritual needs that arise for survivors and communities after these events.

Dr. Aaron New is Professor of Psychology and Counseling and Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Department at Central Baptist College in Conway, Arkansas. He is also a survivor of a church shooting that took place in 1999. From his experience as both a psychology professor and a survivor, he is able to offer a unique perspective on what faith and resilience look like in the wake of a church shooting.
JA: Tell me about your personal experience connected to the Wedgwood Baptist church shooting in 1999.
AN: One Wednesday evening in September 1999, a gunman entered our church and, for reasons still unknown to us today, began shooting people as he walked from the foyer into the sanctuary, where youth from all around the city had gathered for a rally and concert. There he fired over 100 rounds and threw a homemade pipe bomb into the crowd, eventually killing seven people and seriously wounding seven others before taking his own life. My wife was on her way to that foyer and was within just a minute or two from walking into the building when the shooting occurred. Among the victims was a friend of ours. The whole thing was an extraordinarily confusing and painful experience for all of us.
JA: What did resilience look like in your community in the days, months, and years after the shooting?
AN: I tend to think of my own experience in two "stages," for lack of a better term. Initially, my resiliency was characterized by just surviving. At the beginning, most of us were working hard just to keep putting one foot in front of the other in the midst of all the chaos, pain, and grief. With time, my resiliency became characterized with growth as I tried to incorporate this experience into my worldview and letting it change the way I see myself, God, my work, and my relationships with others.
JA: What are the unique psychological and spiritual needs that arise in the wake of a church shooting?
AN: Among the other things that it does, violence tends to separate people. It separates them from others and it separates them from their sense of safety in the world. This can make a church shooting especially tragic. Churches are important places for people to experience connection and community with others. And churches are seen as safe places for people as they worship together. A church shooting can cause people to associate their church with being disconnected and unsafe, creating a dissonance that is deeply unsettling.
JA: Do you have any coping tips you might recommend to survivors and others impacted by a church shooting?
AN: I would recommend two actions for both survivors and others in the community: (1) be patient, and (2) be present. Survivors need to be patient with themselves, not rushing to answers and not speeding through the grieving process. They also need to be present with each other. I found this to be the single most helpful coping strategy in my own life-just being with others as we tried to figure out the whole surviving-and-growing thing together. And the patient and persistent presence of the community can be invaluable to survivors. I remember how significant it was to my church when others in the community made themselves present-by offering to work in the child care area our first Sunday back, by praying for us outside the church during that same service, by bringing tissues for every pew, by bringing meals, and by sending thousands of cards and emails of love and encouragement.
JA: What do people need to know about caring for survivors in the wake of a church shooting?
AN: It is true that all people connected to the church need caring for. But I have become particularly sensitive to the needs of the church leaders in the wake of a church shooting. They are just as hurt, confused, and wounded as others, and yet they are in a position of needing and wanting to care for others in the church. Church leaders tend to put their own grief work on hold and often don't receive the same level of care that others do.
JA: What was your biggest takeaway from this experience?
AN: The evening of the shooting, a news reporter asked my pastor, "What would you say to people who ask, 'Where was God while all this happened?'" It is an important question for people of faith. For sure, some will struggle with feeling abandoned by God if violence occurs in their place of worship. But many others will also experience unique moments of God's presence and provision during their grief. Violence in a church has the potential for both great pain and struggle as well as great comfort and growth.
JA: Is there anything else you'd like to share?
AN: I'm always thankful for the opportunity to talk about my experience at Wedgwood. In fact, I think this is probably true for many people of faith. Most of us appreciate sharing how our faith sustained us during a crisis and how our faith has been shaped by our experiences.

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Faith and Resilience After Surviving a Church Shooting

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A recent wave of shootings targeting places of worship-including churches, synagogues, and mosques-has surfaced important conversations about the unique psychological and spiritual needs that arise for survivors and communities after these events. Dr. Aaron New is Professor of Psychology and Counseling and Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Department at Central Baptist College in Conway, Arkansas.

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Perception is key to resilience: Do you conceptualize an event as traumatic, or as a chance to learn and grow?

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Perception is key to resilience: Do you conceptualize an event as traumatic, or as a chance to learn and grow?

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Illustration by Gizem Vural

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This is an article that talks about the power of gratitude in helping us be resilient.

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Family Fire: Stoking the Spirit's Flame at Home

It's in our closest relationships that we experience our greatest joys and deepest sorrows in this life. We need the Holy Spirit in both extremes and at every point in between. Thankfulness reminds us that God loved us first and we respond to Him. In thanks, we receive power to walk patiently in our most trying times, and to persevere. In the last month, Family Fire from ReFrame Media, has explored these themes from a reformed perspective to offer encouragement and sustenance to spouses and parents serving those they love in the day-to-day.

Family Fire is a ministry from the CRC, and as a resource for you it explores biblical themes relating to our most foundational relationships-to encourage you in your own relationships, and to equip you to help others.

Here are some of the most recent posts at Family Fire. You can subscribe and receive Family Fire right in your inbox.

Cultivating a Virtue: Lord Give Me Patience! By Steven Koster. 12/4/2014. How can we actually cultivate more patience in our lives and families? Patience is not a grocery item you can pick up at the corner store! Colossians 3:12 describes it as a required wardrobe essential.

Help for Parents: Persevering Through Challenges. Nadia Swearingen-Friesen. 12/1/2014. We know God is faithful and will help us to persevere in the midst of parenting struggles, but even the best of parents can still be lured into despair. It becomes difficult to persevere. Difficult, but not impossible.

Living Daily in Gratitude. By Kim Sullivan. 11/27/2014. Fear drives out gratitude by keeping us focused on challenges rather than God's provision. Many scriptures admonishing us to be thankful in the midst of struggle.

Six Ways to Practice Gratitude. By Joy Bocanegra, MA, LCPC. 11/24/2014. Gratitude is an antidote to discontent. Practicing gratitude means seeing the blessings God has given us rather than complaining about everything we don't have. Our choice of outlook makes a difference in our overall satisfaction!

Devotions of the Early Church. By Deb Koster. 11/17/2014. The first followers of Jesus devoted themselves to specific practices that drew them close to God. We too can practice these devotions in our daily lives. The same Spirit breathes His fire into our lives if we are willing to be filled by him.

The Power of Praying for One Another. By Deb Koster. 11/6/2014. Galatians 2:6 tells us, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Praying for one another is a powerful way for us to bear one another's burdens.

Watch for updates about Family Fire each month on the Network as a digest of recent Family Fire posts. You can explore familyfire.com at any time. And be sure to join our Facebook community ("Like" Family Fire!).

Also, be sure to visit MeetReFrame.com and sign up for a special email series introducing you to ReFrame Media's family of programs.

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Family Fire: Stoking the Spirit's Flame at Home It's in our closest relationships that we experience our greatest joys and deepest sorrows in this life. We need the Holy Spirit in both extremes and at every point in between. Thankfulness reminds us that God loved us first and we respond to Him.

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This is an article for pastors and church leaders in terms of how to help your pastor stay healthy in ministry.

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Fads come and go. They seemingly spring up out of nowhere, are all the rage for a period of time, and then one day they're gone.

The keto diet is a current weight loss fad. However, I've just read that it will soon be "so 2018." The new diet for 2019 will be pegan. Apparently, "California cool" is this year's fashion look. Time to bring out your tie-dyed t-shirts and beat-up sneakers. And, 2019 could be the year when the four-day work week becomes the norm. We'll see about that.

Trends have more staying power than fads as they can continue for a number years. A couple current examples include fewer full-time jobs and more "just-in-time hirings" and workplace wellbeing. Workplace wellbeing-now that's something that needs to move from a trend to a given.

I think we can all agree that focusing on wellbeing at work is of great importance, and benefit, to both the employee and the employer. Have you ever wondered how that looks for pastors?

"Being a pastor is a tough, demanding job, one that is not always very well understood or appreciated. Pastoral work is more complex than that which transpires in the hour-or-so a week that many lay people see the pastor in action, as she or he leads worship and preaches. What happens during this time is surely of central importance to clergy and their parishioners, but it is not the only important thing clergy do. It is a job in flux. . . and it is made increasingly difficult by rapid changes in the pastor's work environment, including the broader culture in which pastoral work is done."[i]

If you're a pastor, you can relate at some level to this quote.

When we talk about wellbeing, what exactly are we talking about? According to Notre Dames' Flourishing in Ministry Study, there are two core components: daily wellbeing (our capacity to be resilient in the face of challenges and stressors, our experiences of burnout, and the quality of our daily lives) and flourishing (which includes at least these four elements: purpose in life, positive connectedness, a meaning system, and positive identity and authenticity).

How is a pastor to know what their state of wellbeing is? Too often pastors self-assess which unfortunately can lead to, "I'm fine. This is just how it is for pastors." Pastors (like most people) generally aren't the best ones to gauge their wellbeing-unless they're very self-aware. Often others are able to see telltale signs before a pastor realizes something needs attention. Spouses and children are perhaps the first to notice that something isn't quite right.

So what's a pastor to do? Pastor Church Resources (PCR) has eight resources that focus on wellbeing.

1. Refreshed for the Call: This September 2019 conference will focus on pastoral wellbeing. Plenary speaker, Dr. Rev. Chris Adams is a pastor, clinical psychologist specializing in research and counseling with pastors and their families, and part of the Flourishing in Ministry research team.

2. Vocational Ministry Assessments: Participating in an assessment can be life giving in a number of ways. Helping pastors find their vocational sweet spot-the place where their heart sings-is Rev. Sam DeJong McCarron's calling.

3. Flourishing in Ministry Study: In the summer of 2017, just over 340 CRC pastors participated in this study. The report told us a lot about pastors' wellbeing. (More on this below.) In May 2019, pastors will again be able to participate in the study. After taking the survey, participants will receive an immediate and confidential report on their personal wellbeing. Engaging in the survey more than once will track a pastor's wellbeing over time.

4. Peer Learning Groups: Gathering with colleagues who "get it" is good for the soul. In the last 16 years, almost 900 CRC pastors have been part of a grant funded peer group. Comments like this are common: "The peer group has encouraged me through some very tough times; not sure where I'd be without it." If needed, Lis Van Harten is here to help you write a proposal.

5. Thriving Together Program: Pastors experience a number of transitions during their years in ministry. Three invisible, and therefore challenging, ones are exploring a transition, early in the second call, and later career. Gatherings, resources, mentoring, and mentoring groups are some of the available programming. Program director Rev. Al Postma is available to answer any questions you may have.

6. : Pastors in their first five years of ministry are enriched by engaging in a mentoring relationship with a seasoned pastor. Sharing experiences and situations with someone who's been there fosters wellbeing. Rev. Dave Den Haan oversees the CRCNA's mentoring program and welcomes your queries.

7. Continuing Education Grants: Have you considered meeting with a coach or a spiritual director? How about attending a conference that will refresh you and your ministry? Spending time focusing on you is time well spent. Funds are available to help cover such expenses. Lis Van Harten looks forward to connecting with you about this.

8. Pastors' Spiritual Vitality Toolkit: This toolkit explores topics such as strengthening self-awareness, meeting with a spiritual companion, and finding an ongoing rhythm. It's full of practical how to's and resources. While title indicates it's for pastors, anyone will find it nourishing and nurturing.

What shouldn't a pastor do? Assume all is fine. No matter where you think you are on the wellbeing continuum, be aware. Talk with someone whom you trust deeply and will be honest with you. If things aren't as they should be, take active steps to increase your wellbeing. You, who cares for so many, need to be sure to care for yourself.

A few snippets from the 2017 CRCNA Flourishing in Ministry Report.

Overall, participating CRC clergy appear to be experiencing moderate to high-moderate levels of well-being. However, participating CRC clergy appear to be experiencing slightly lower levels of well-being than the average pastor in our study (diverse sample of 10,000+ clergy in North America) in most key dimensions of wellbeing.

Participating CRC clergy appear to be experiencing higher levels of well-being than the average pastor in our study in these two specific areas: person/job fit and spiritual wellbeing.

Emotional exhaustion appears to be a significant difficulty for participating CRC clergy.

Emotional regulation, self-control, proactivity, and self-efficacy may be underdeveloped competencies for a large percentage of participating CRC clergy.

Many pastors who responded to the survey reported having suffered from financial strain or stress.

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Fads come and go. They seemingly spring up out of nowhere, are all the rage for a period of time, and then one day they're gone. The keto diet is a current weight loss fad. However, I've just read that it will soon be "so 2018." The new diet for 2019 will be pegan.

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Why Building resilience in children is important

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Why Building resilience in children is important

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Resilience is an important trait for all of us, and an essential one for our children to develop. We know that resilience creates happier, less stressed children wherever they are - whether it's at home, school, before and after school care or attending school holiday programs. Having a whole lot of resilience can only be a good thing!

What is resilience?

When we talk about resilience we mean a person's ability to cope with the ups and downs of life. For children it also encompasses how they deal with the challenges they might face throughout their childhood. This could mean dealing with events like a death in the family, moving to a new school or starting out at a new school holiday program.

Why is resilience important?

Resilience is important mostly for our mental health. It's a life skill we take with us into adulthood. It is thought that the more resilient a person is, the less they experience stress as they are equipped to deal with life's pressures.

Building resilience in children helps them to overcome obstacles more easily and reduces the chances of them suffering from anxiety or other stress-related disorders.

How do you develop resilience in your child?

Resilience is shaped in part by a child's upbringing and culture but can also be taught through the development of social skills. Adults can help to promote the building of resilience by role modelling coping skills, teaching problem-solving and assisting kids to solve their own problems when they arise.

School staff and parents play an important role in building resilience in children. Kids are more likely to be resilient when there are supports around them from school, family or community. A close network is often built around children who attend before and after school care, giving them more opportunity to create relationships and build resilience too.

It's become a bit of a 'buzz' word but building resilience in children is important. You can help by modelling problem solving and helping to build your child's self-esteem. While we want our kids to be as resilient as possible, make sure they know that asking for help is okay too.

Resilience is shaped in part by a child's upbringing and culture but can also be taught through the development of social skills. Adults can help to promote the building of resilience by role modelling coping skills, teaching problem-solving and assisting kids to solve their own problems when they arise.

School staff and parents play an important role in building resilience in children. Kids are more likely to be resilient when there are supports around them from school, family or community. A close network is often built around children who attend before and after school care, giving them more opportunity to create relationships and build resilience too.

It's become a bit of a 'buzz' word but building resilience in children is important. You can help by modelling problem solving and helping to build your child's self-esteem. While we want our kids to be as resilient as possible, make sure they know that asking for help is okay too.

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Why building resilience in children is important

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Resilience is an important trait for all of us, and an essential one for our children to develop. We know that resilience creates happier, less stressed children wherever they are - whether it's at home, school, before and after school care or attending school holiday programs. Having a whole lot of resilience can only be a good thing!

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Here is a helpful article from a pastor on the CRC Network on how to help students become more resilient in the context of youth ministry.

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My daughters are 15 months apart. Because of this they actually spent quite a bit of time together. They shared friends. They were in girls' club together - the youngest joining early and the oldest sticking around. One joined colour guard in order to be in marching band with her clarinet playing sister. They went to university together. They shared a dorm suite with each other. The latter two times of togetherness seemed like good ideas at the time, until they weren't.

As parents, we realized a bit too late that one of the things we underestimated was how important it was for each of them to have their own spheres of growth and influence in order to help shape their individual senses of self. They did have their own friend groups as well, but there was a lot of overlap. We realized later that it would have been helpful for us to press them a little harder to create more of their own separate spheres. But here is the thing, it was efficient and convenient to take them to the same activities, clubs, and birthday parties. It actually helped to create a very tight knit community for our family. AND, there was little push back from the girls themselves. I do wonder, however, what more intentional cross-pollination with people beyond this circle may have done to help launch them a bit more successfully that first shared year of university. I think that it would have made them a bit more resilient as they learned how to create new friendships and a sense of community apart from our family and their tight sisterhood while still close enough to access it.

We can sometimes create a similar situation in our youth ministries. As leaders we work hard to create a strong community with our youth by making everything we do either an "all in" or by rarely engaging with other Christian young people in our area. Sure, they may interact at the Christian High School, if they attend one, but I have found that often students from the local CHS will together chose one youth group to attend so that there is very little interaction beyond that particular herd from dawn to dusk. As with our daughters, it IS efficient and convenient, this arrangement DOES help to create a very tight knit community for students' families, AND there will be little push back from the students themselves...but does it help our students gain the resiliency they need in order to imagine themselves making new friendships, engaging with Christians from other backgrounds, or finding a new faith community when jobs take them far from the place of their birth?

There is often not much motivation for Cross Pollinating with other youth groups. I am aware of large youth ministries that are fairly self contained. They do their own retreats, their own in house training, their own service/mission trips and they do them very well. They have plenty of students to count on critical mass for almost every event they plan. On a practical level these groups do not perceive the need to connect with other groups. Connecting can feel like a real imposition to the successful programming already taking place.

I am also aware of smaller youth ministries who are self contained as well. They do not have all of the bells and whistles, but their students like the intimacy and easy portability of their cozy group. Connecting with others can feel threatening to the much-loved warmth of the group. Connecting with other youth groups also brings with it the possibility that students might feel discontented with the group in their home church. Might cross pollination invite consumerism?

Which leads me to name the Fear Factor: Sometimes we resist any cross pollination out of fear - "Fear of losing our youth to another youth group." "Fear of losing our children to another denomination." "Fear of our children leaving the protective bubble we have worked hard to create." The problem, of course, is that the bubble works against resilience and spiritual confidence. Yet we know what casts out all fear. Might it be loving to walk alongside our youth as they look beyond their communities for other places that God is working?
5 reasons why it is important to allow for Cross Pollination between youth groups:

1. It gives students the opportunity to see the Spirit alive and active in other church communities and an appreciation for the diversity of the Christ's Church.

2. It gives students and leaders fresh ideas for Youth Ministry and possibly contacts for ministry support. We know this work can be lonely at times.

3. It gives students the opportunity to make friends and contacts with Christians beyond their communities of origin and builds into students' skills and resiliency for finding Christian community beyond high school.

4. It gives students a chance to dialogue with and ask questions about how other Christians navigate the joys and challenges of the life of faith.

5. It helps groups share the wealth of everything from great programming to various facilities and ministry best practices by experiencing them in community.

5 ways to promote Cross Pollination.
Cross pollination in plants requires pollinators who are willing and able to travel from plant to plant. It needs leaders who are willing to initiate contact or invite others in.

1. Some classes are investing in classis wide Fall Retreats. Classis Huron has done a great job of using this yearly event which hosts some 275 students as both a kick off and opportunity to gather young people together to meet other people of faith.

2. SERVE trips through Youth Unlimited can be hyper-cross pollination as students have opportunities to interact with each other and the host church while supporting local ministry.

3. Leadership Training for youth has been a great tool for connecting youth in Southern Ontario and in Los Angeles. Students meet together to explore God's call on their lives. Adult leaders use these opportunities to become more effective youth mentors.

4. Invite a neighbouring youth group for a gym night or a Service Saturday to bless the surrounding community.

5. Plan a joint youth impact event or invite neighbouring churches to host Youth Alpha.

What would cross-pollinating with other youth groups look like in your context?

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My daughters are 15 months apart. Because of this they actually spent quite a bit of time together. They shared friends. They were in girls' club together - the youngest joining early and the oldest sticking around. One joined colour guard in order to be in marching band with her clarinet playing sister.

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Resilience tools from Alberta Health Services

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Resilience tools from Alberta Health Services

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Mind-Body Wellness

Dealing With Negative Thoughts

Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength

Practicing Gratitude

Healing Through Humour

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Tapping the Power of Optimism

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Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Catherine Devany Serio, PhD - Psychology, Behavioral Health & Thomas M. Bailey, MD, CCFP - Family Medicine & Christine R. Maldonado, PhD - Behavioral Health

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Author: Healthwise Staff Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Catherine Devany Serio, PhD - Psychology, Behavioral Health & Thomas M. Bailey, MD, CCFP - Family Medicine & Christine R.

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Telling our stories about our experiences with pain or problems is a way to over come adversity. With the power of stories, both sharing our own experiences or listening to the stories of others, it helps us to come to terms with it.

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30+ Inspiring Journaling Prompts to Improve Your Life - Resilient

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30+ Inspiring Journaling Prompts to Improve Your Life - Resilient

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Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links, which means we earn money if you purchase through our link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our Disclosure Policy.

Journaling or just free writing out your feelings and thoughts is a great way to figure out what you want out of life, sort through your own feelings, and reflect on how things are going and how you can improve. Here are 30+ inspiring daily journal prompts to inspire you to create a regular journaling habit for self improvement, or journaling prompts for mental health.

30+ Inspiring Journaling Prompts to Improve Your Life | Daily Journal Prompts for Mental Health

1. What is going well in your life right now?
2. What could be improved?
3. Do you have a current morning routine? If you did, what would you want it to look like?
4. What are three things you are grateful for today?
5. What is something you did well in the last week?
6. What is something you are going to work on in the upcoming week?
7. What are your current short term goals?
8. What are your current long term goals?
9. What area of your life is getting the most time and attention right now? (Work, family, social life, money, fun, school, health, fitness, etc)
10. What area of your life needs a little more love and attention?
11. What fears do you have in life?
12. What scares you about the future?
13. What are you excited for in the future?
14. What are you still holding onto from the past?
15. Write a letter to your future self.
16. What would you do if you were not afraid?
17. What would you do with your life if money were no object?
18. What secrets are you still carrying?
19. Depression journal prompt: What burdens are weighing down your mind right now?
20. Anxiety journal prompt: What is stressing you out right now?
21. What can you do, if anything, to improve your current stressful situations?
22. What's the scariest thing you've ever done that turned out to be worth it?
23. What are the most important things in your life?
24. Who are the most important people in your life?
25. What are a few activities that cheer you up?
26. What is your favorite way to practice self care?
27. What is a mistake that you learned something from?
28. What new thing have you learned recently?
29. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
30. Write about anything that needs to be expressed.

Or any other journaling ideas you can think of! 🙂

P.S. If you're ready to improve your life and keep track of all your progress and goals, check out Your Best Life Planner. It's a kit of 36 digital printables that help you plan your days with monthly, weekly, and daily planners, set goals, vision your future, create self care and gratitude lists, and so much more! Check it out here now and create your best life.

Mental Health Journal Prompts | Mental Health Writing Prompts

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30+ Inspiring Journaling Prompts to Improve Your Life

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Journaling or just free writing out your feelings and thoughts is a great way to figure out what you want out of life, sort through your own feelings, and reflect on how things are going and how you can improve. Here are 30+ inspiring journaling prompts to inspire you to create a regular journaling habit for self improvement.

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I found this image in the restroom of a church! It is a resource from Alberta Health Services. I thought it was a helpful image to keep in mind.

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Great tool for processing events and happenings from Margolis

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This past week a EF 3 tornado went through Nashville. It is amazing how churches are looking out for their people and how they were helping others before assessing the damage to their own church. Crosspoint Church building in Nashville has been damaged and they images of the offices and children's area are unbelievable. They are coming together to pick up the pieces and knowing that God is going to move through this situation.

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The Complicated Heart: Loving Even When It Hurts

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The Complicated Heart: Loving Even When It Hurts

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Sarah Mae writes in this book fo how her growing up with an alcoholic mother affected her life. Not only did she end up reconciling the relationship, she even wrote this book with the eyes of her mother and wanted to share her story.

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Get Free Morning Show Newsletter Meet Sarah The Podcast Speaking Get My Newest Book Blog

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Christine Peng-Peng Lee Feature | CBS Sports

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This is the Epilogue in Gregersen's book The Questions Are The Answer.

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What Will You Ask Of Yourself? Gregersen

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In these difficult times, we've made a number of our coronavirus articles free for all readers. To get all of HBR's content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter.

The Covid-19 crisis has now reached a new critical phase where public health systems need to act decisively to contain the growth in new epicenters outside China.

Clearly, the main emphasis is and should be on containing and mitigating the disease itself. But the economic impacts are also significant, and many companies are feeling their way towards understanding, reacting to, and learning lessons from rapidly unfolding events. Unanticipated twists and turns will be revealed with each news cycle, and we will only have a complete picture in retrospect.

Nevertheless, given the very different degrees of preparedness across companies, the further potential for disruption, and the value of being better prepared for future crises, it's worth trying to extract what we have learned so far. Based on our ongoing analysis and support for our clients around the world, we have distilled the following 12 lessons for responding to unfolding events, communicating, and extracting and applying learnings.

1) Update intelligence on a daily basis.

Events are unfolding with astounding speed, and the picture changes on a daily basis. Only several days ago, it looked like the outbreak was mostly confined to China and was being brought under control. More recently, a number of fast-growing epicenters of infection have sprung up beyond China, signaling a new phase and potentially necessitating new strategies of mitigation rather than containment. Our team initially decided to communicate updates every 72 hours, but we moved to a daily cycle, not only for updating data, but also for reframing our overall perspective.

2) Beware of hype cycles / news cycles.

News organizations often focus on what's new rather than the big picture, and they sometimes don't distinguish between hard facts, soft facts, and speculation. Yesterday's news is likely to frame how your organization thinks about the crisis today. When exposed to fast changing information, be it a new technology or an emerging crisis, we have a systematic tendency initially to overlook weak signals, then to overreact to emerging issues before we eventually take a more calibrated view. As you absorb the latest news, think critically about the source of the information before acting on it.

3) Don't assume that information creates informedness.

In our connected world, employees have direct access to many sources of information. Leaders might reasonably conclude that there is so much information and commentary available externally that they don't need to do anything additional. We have found, however, that creating and widely sharing a regularly updated summary of facts and implications is invaluable, so that time is not wasted debating what the facts are - or worse, making different assumptions about facts.

4) Use experts and forecasts carefully.

Experts in epidemiology, virology, public health, logistics, and other disciplines are indispensable in interpreting complex and shifting information. But it's clear that expert opinions differ on critical issues like optimal containment policies and economic impact, and it's good to consult multiple sources. Each epidemic is unpredictable and unique, and we are still learning about the critical features of the current one. We need to employ an iterative, empirical approach to understanding what's going on and what works - albeit one guided by expert opinion.

5) Constantly reframe your understanding of what's happening.

A big-picture synthesis of the situation and a plan to deal with it, once captured on paper, can itself become a source of inertia. A Chinese proverb reminds us that errors made in the morning should be corrected in the evening.

But large organizations are rarely so flexible. Managers often resist disseminating plans until they are completely sure, and then they are reluctant to change them for fear of looking indecisive or misinformed, or of creating confusion in the organization. A living document, with a time-stamped "best current view" is essential to learn and adapt in a rapidly changing situation.

6) Beware of bureaucracy.

Controversial, sensitive, or high-profile issues will typically attract review by senior management, corporate affairs, legal, risk management, and a host of other functions. Each will have suggestions on how to best craft communications, leading to an overly generalized or conservative perspective and a slow, cumbersome process.

Assembling a small trusted team and giving them enough leeway to make rapid tactical decisions is critical. Overly managing communications can be damaging when each day brings significant new information to light. Use the clock speed of external events as a guideline for pacing the internal process, rather than starting with the latter as a given.

A living digital document can enhance speed by avoiding the rigamarole of issuing and approving multiple documents, and also reduces risk, since it can easily be updated or withdrawn as necessary. Furthermore, distinguishing clearly between facts, hypotheses, and speculations can help in communicating a fuller and more nuanced picture.

7) Make sure your response is balanced across these seven dimensions:

Communications: Employees will likely be exposed to conflicting information and feel anxious or confused about the best course of action. Be sure to communicate policies promptly, clearly, and in a balanced manner. Furthermore, communicate contextual information and the reasoning behind policies so that employees can deepen their own understanding and also take initiative in unanticipated situations, such as employee holidays in a restricted location or how to handle contractors.

Employee needs: Restrictions on travel and congregation will trigger employee needs for access to education, health care, daily provisions and the like. You should anticipate and develop solutions to these and create an information hub where employees can find all the information they need. Many of these needs will be locally specific, requiring a multi-tiered approach to policy making.

Travel: Make sure that travel policies are clear in terms of where employees can travel to, for what reasons, what authorizations are required and when the policy will be reviewed.

Remote work: Be clear on your policies - where they apply, how they will work, and when they will be reviewed. Home working is rare in some geographies, like China for example, and the need for additional explanation should be anticipated.

Supply-chain stabilization: Attempt to stabilize supply chains by using safety stocks, alternative sources, and working with suppliers to solve bottlenecks. Where rapid solutions are not possible, co-develop plans, put in place interim solutions, and communicate plans to all relevant stakeholders.

Business tracking and forecasting: It's likely that the crisis will create unpredictable fluctuations. Put in place rapid-reporting cycles so that you can understand how your business is being affected, where mitigation is required, and how quickly operations are recovering. A crisis doesn't imply immunity from performance management, and sooner or later markets will judge which companies managed the challenge most effectively.

Being part of the broader solution: As a corporate citizen you should support others in your supply chain, industry, community, and local government. Consider how your business can contribute, be it in health care, communications, food, or some other domain. Focus on the intersection between acute social needs and your specific capabilities - in other words, live your purpose.

8) Use resilience principles in developing policies.

Efficiency reigns in a stable world with no surprises, and this mindset is often dominant in large corporations. But the key goal in managing dynamic and unpredictable challenges is resilience - the ability to survive and thrive through unpredictable, changing, and potentially unfavorable events. Our research on resilient systems shows that they generally have six common characteristics which should be reflected in crisis responses.

Redundancy: Access to additional manufacturing capacity can help smooth supply-chain fluctuations. In the short term, companies may need to look beyond normal sources for solutions, but in the longer term, redundancy can be designed in.

Diversity: Having multiple approaches to fulfillment can be less efficient but more flexible and resilient in crisis situations. Equally a diversity of ideas can greatly enhance solution development. Put together a cognitively diverse crisis management team that will have more ideas about potential solutions, especially if the corporate culture encourages expression of and respect for diverse perspectives. Beware of treating the crisis in one-dimensional manner - as a financial or logistical problem only, and staff your crisis team accordingly.

Modularity: Highly integrated systems may be efficient, but they are vulnerable to avalanches of knock-on effects or even total system collapse if disturbed. In contrast, a modular system - where factories, organizational units or supply sources can be combined in different ways - offers greater resiliency. When a key brake valve supplier for Toyota was burned to the ground some years ago, supply was restored in just days because of the ability to swap production between suppliers, even of very different components. Ask how you can rewire your supply system in a modular manner both in the short and longer term.

Evolvability: Systems can be built for optimization and peak efficiency or they can be built for evolvability - constant improvement in the light of new opportunities, problems, or information. Responses to dynamic crises like Covid-19 put a premium on evolvability. There is no knowable right answer, and any predetermined answer is likely to be wrong or to become obsolete over time. But it is possible to iterate and learn towards more effective solutions. While many lessons will be learned in retrospect, doing something now, seeing what works and remobilizing around the results is likely to be most effective strategy in the short term.

Prudence: We cannot predict the course of events or their impacts for Covid-19, but we can envision plausible downside scenarios and test resilience under these circumstances. We can run scenarios for a widespread global epidemic, a multi-regional epidemic, and a rapidly contained epidemic, for example. Now that the focus has shifted from containment of the Covid-19 epidemic in China to preventing its establishment in new epicenters overseas, we have arrived at another inflection point, with very high uncertainty. It would be prudent for companies to take a fresh look at worst-case scenarios and develop contingency strategies against each.

Embeddedness: Companies are stakeholders in wider industrial, economic, and social systems which are also under great stress. Those who fail to look at their supply chains or ecosystems holistically will have limited impact. Solutions that solve for an individual company at the expense of or neglecting the interests of others will create mistrust and damage the business in the longer term. Conversely, support to customers, partners, health care, and social systems in a time of adversity can potentially create lasting goodwill and trust. A key element of dealing with economic stress is to live one's values precisely when we are most likely to forget them.

9) Prepare now for the next crisis.

Covid-19 is not a one-off challenge. We should expect additional phases to the current epidemic and additional epidemics in the future. Our research on the effectiveness of organizational responses to dynamic crises indicates that there is one variable which is most predictive of eventual success - preparation and preemption. Preparing for the next crisis (or the next phase of the current crisis) now is likely to be much more effective than an ad hoc, reactive response when the crisis actually hits.

10) Intellectual preparation is not enough.

Many companies run scenarios to create intellectual preparedness for unexpected situations. Scenarios must be updated and customized, however, in the light of the most material risks to a business at any given time. Those risks have shifted even over the last few days, with the rise of new disease epicenters.

Intellectual preparedness alone is not enough, however. Something can be well understood but unrehearsed as a capability. Scenarios should therefore ideally be backed up by war gaming to simulate and learn from behaviors under stress. A war room set-up, with a small dedicated team empowered to decide and execute, can cut through organizational complexity.

11) Reflect on what you've learned.

Rather than heaving a sigh of relief and returning to normal routines when the crisis subsides, efforts should be made not to squander a valuable learning opportunity. Even while the crisis is unfolding, responses and impacts should be documented to be later reviewed and lessons distilled. Rapidly evolving situations expose existing organizational weaknesses, like an inability to make hard decisions or an excessive bias towards consensus, which constitute opportunities for improvement.

For example, airline safety is one of the most effective global learning systems we have in this respect. Each time there is an incident from minor mishaps to tragic accidents resulting in lives lost, root causes are investigated in forensic detail according to pre-agreed protocols, and binding recommendations are made. It's not surprising that flying has become one of safest forms of travel, thanks to cumulative learnings and adaptations from previous misfortunes.

12) Prepare for a changed world.

We should expect that the Covid-19 crisis will change our businesses and society in important ways. It is likely to fuel areas like online shopping, online education, and public health investments, for example. It is also likely to change how companies configure their supply chains and reinforce the trend away from dependence on few mega-factories. When the urgent part of the crisis has been navigated, companies should consider what this crisis changes and what they've learned so they can reflect them in their plans.
Editor's Note (5/18/20): The translation of the Chinese proverb cited in this piece has been updated.

If our content helps you to contend with coronavirus and other challenges, please consider subscribing to HBR. A subscription purchase is the best way to support the creation of these resources.

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Lead Your Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis

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The economic impacts of Covid-19 are significant, and as the crisis unfolds, many companies are trying to understand, react to, and learn lessons from rapidly unfolding events. While the full impact will only be clear in hindsight, the authors offer 12 lessons based on BCG's ongoing analysis and support for our clients around the world.

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Shalini Unnikrishnan: We need to turn our response to crisis inside out

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This is a fascinating story of endurance in the face of extreme adversity. The movie is also inspiring.

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Ernest Shackleton - Quotes, Death & Ship Discovery

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Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was an Irish-born British explorer who was a principal figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

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Both this article and the website from the Greater Good Science Center look like excellent resources.

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When my mother died, the first thing I did was call my two best friends. Like good friends will, they dropped everything and came to my rescue. Having them there made all the difference in getting through a very difficult period of my life.

Researchers haven't always emphasized this kind of social support as a factor in individual resilience-that is, the ability to recover from hardship and move forward in a positive, adaptive way. Instead, they have placed a high premium on studying personal qualities, often relegating social context to a lesser role.

For example, studies have found that people who are happier, have a strong purpose in life, or higher levels of self-efficacy-the belief that they have control over their situation-seem to have an easier time recovering after disaster. Some of these personality factors have been shown to be protective, even for those who suffer from economic hardship, and can lead to better health outcomes, a reduced risk of suicide, and a better recovery after the loss of a spouse or loved one.

Still, the research surrounding resiliency is complex and varied. In some cases, resiliency may look a bit different depending on the type of hardship being faced, like the loss of a spouse versus the long-term effects of childhood abuse. Certain protective factors that may help one group of people don't necessarily help another. And some studies show that resiliency is not a stable trait but fluctuates over time, suggesting that it is subject to developmental or environmental changes, not personal attributes alone.

Lost in the mix of resiliency research is the importance of social circumstances. How resilient we are may have as much or more to do with our social milieu and circle of support-our communities, our institutions, our cultural expectations-as it does with our personal strengths.

As resiliency researcher Elliot Friedman says, "The availability of social support in all its forms-instrumental support, emotional support, support with how you think about things-they all matter and help us in facing challenge."

Though we may think it's easier to change ourselves when it comes to facing adversity-to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps, as they say-research suggests that positive relationships and supportive environments have an important role to play.

Positive social relationships are key to resilience

Having good social relationships is clearly a winning strategy in life, tied to greater psychological and physical well-being. Thus, it's not surprising that social relationships also matter when it comes to resiliency, in part because they help us feel less stress when we are suffering.

Large-scale population studies have shown that positive relationships at one period of life predict less depression later. Social relationships are particularly protective for older adults, who might face declining cognitive abilities or health challenges.

"There are a lot of ways to consider what resiliency means; but there's no question that social relationships are important for health," says Friedman. "If you stack having few social relationships against other risk factors-like smoking and obesity-not being socially connected is as strong a risk factor for death."

The reason may be that good social relationships seem to help us tamp down stress reactions, even when we just recall those relationships. In one study, wives who felt strongly in synch with their spouses felt less anticipatory reactivity toward a mild electric shock. And caring touch from a health care worker reduced pain in accident victims up to six months later, supporting the importance of empathic behaviors in patient care.

Supportive relationships also help those suffering from childhood abuse-especially "supportive relationships that foster attachment, guidance, reliable alliance, social integration, and reassurance of worth." One study found that those children who'd suffered psychiatric distress-enough to be hospitalized-bounced back after adolescence to become better adjusted adults if they'd had positive social relationships and felt a sense of relatedness toward others.

As the American Psychological Association wrote in its resilience report: "Many studies show that the primary factor in resilience is having caring and supportive relationships within and outside the family. Relationships that create love and trust, provide role models and offer encouragement and reassurance, help bolster a person's resilience."

Perhaps that's why when we are in trouble, we naturally look to our social networks for help-whether they offer emotional support or simply a helping hand.

"Having friends you can talk to and share your concerns with, maybe having them help you get a perspective on things-that's where social ties can be useful," says Friedman.

To some extent, resiliency depends on culture

What is important for resiliency in one culture may be less important in another culture.

For example, research has shown that in more collectivist cultures-where the well-being of one's group is valued more than the individual's-social support and being flexible may be more protective in overcoming setbacks than self-efficacy. Individualistic Americans, on the other hand, seem to need that combination of independence and effectiveness, according to Friedman.

In addition, some personal attributes supporting resiliency in one culture may do harm in another. In one study, researchers found that having high levels of positive emotion-if coupled with low social support-resulted in worse health for Japanese participants. Also, while positive emotion may be tied to resilience in the U.S., it's not necessarily so in other cultures. In fact, a balance of positive and negative emotion can be more conducive to getting through hardship.

"How resilient we are may have as much to do with our social milieu and circle of support as it does with our personal strengths"

―Jill Suttie

Hostile cultural contexts can also affect resiliency. For example, one study found that, for gay men, internalized homophobia and the stigma of being gay hurt their resiliency, making them less likely to seek needed medical care. But other studies have found that, with positive social support, some discrimination stressors can be overcome, leading to better health outcomes.

These and other studies suggest that, when considering resiliency, cultural factors are important. Not only may personal attributes be less important in certain contexts, they may actually backfire-perhaps making people believe getting back on their feet is all up to them.

Social safety nets increase the resiliency of citizens

In countries where social supports-such as universal free health care and paid parental leave-are provided by the government, studies find that people are happier and healthier, which in turn seems to help them bounce back from challenges and disasters. When these supports are missing, says the research, people suffer psychologically.

Imagine how this might play out: Suppose you have to leave work to care for an ill parent, and you happen to live in a place where paid family leave is a given. You may still be challenged emotionally, but it won't be compounded by financial stress or the fear of being fired for taking time off. This is especially true for new parents. Not only does paid leave result in better health for mothers and children, it helps mothers to return to work sooner.

As a report from the World Bank suggests, social support networks are critical to resiliency, especially for the poor and vulnerable. In areas where there is great wealth inequality, people suffer more ill health effects to begin with.

Social safety nets can also provide the proverbial ounce of prevention. One study found that resiliency is tied to fewer adverse events in one's life, suggesting that prevention of adversity-perhaps through social programs like parent coaching or universal health care-may be key to increasing resiliency. Research has shown that states embracing policies aimed at improving the social welfare-for example, through tax credits and better health care-had smaller percentages of their citizens reporting disabilities than states who didn't embrace these policies.

Resilience is associated with stronger social connections

Many researchers suggest that living a more altruistic life or living life with purpose helps us be more resilient when disaster hits. But could the root of this benefit be tied with the values that come with altruism and purpose?

This is hard to tease out, as many researchers use measures of resiliency that are multi-faceted-for example, bundling conscientiousness, vitality, and relationships into a package of resiliency traits. This makes it difficult to know which factors are most salient or how they interact.

Yet we see evidence from other research that altruism is tied to social relationships, which aids in resilience. Practicing gratitude also strengthens relationships and social support networks, which aids in reducing stress and depression. Even finding purpose-which one could imagine doesn't necessarily involve building social networks-is often fostered in research studies through in-depth conversations with a caring adult.

"We're finding that a good route to feelings of purpose and meaning-which we tend to think of as good sources of resilience-comes from being out in the world, being engaged with meaningful activities that are doing good for other people and that are contributing," says Friedman. "Engaging in meaningful activities definitely has a large social component at a very high level."

In addition, individuals suffering a setback are frequently encouraged to go to a therapist, join a support group, or get involved in volunteering. All of these activities have at their root the opportunity for deeper or wider social and emotional connection. Interestingly, research suggests that the relationship between a patient and a therapist may be the most critical ingredient in therapeutic success- more important than therapeutic techniques, for example.

Even religious belief- sometimes seen as helpful for resiliency-may be, for many, an opportunity to deepen social connections, which could explain its potency. One need only think of church members gathering together to help out someone in need within their congregation to see how this might play out.

So, why does this matter? If we don't understand the relevance of social context in resiliency, we may end up setting ourselves up for failure. If resiliency doesn't simply mean focusing on our personal strengths and overcoming the odds, we will create more ways for people to strengthen their support systems-and for governments to enact policies that help prevent unnecessary adversity in the first place.

In other words, when you are going through a hard time, turn to the people around you. It takes a village to help each of its members to bounce back from disaster.

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Four Ways Social Support Makes You More Resilient

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When my mother died, the first thing I did was call my two best friends. Like good friends will, they dropped everything and came to my rescue. Having them there made all the difference in getting through a very difficult period of my life.

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This is an intriguing article from Harvard Business Review on the importance of good recovery.
"We often take a militaristic, “tough” approach to resilience and grit. We imagine a Marine slogging through the mud, a boxer going one more round, or a football player picking himself up off the turf for one more play. We believe that the longer we tough it out, the tougher we are, and therefore the more successful we will be. However, this entire conception is scientifically inaccurate."

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As constant travelers and parents of a 2-year-old, we sometimes fantasize about how much work we can do when one of us gets on a plane, undistracted by phones, friends, and Finding Nemo. We race to get all our ground work done: packing, going through TSA, doing a last-minute work call, calling each other, then boarding the plane. Then, when we try to have that amazing work session in flight, we get nothing done. Even worse, after refreshing our email or reading the same studies over and over, we are too exhausted when we land to soldier on with the emails that have inevitably still piled up.

Why should flying deplete us? We're just sitting there doing nothing. Why can't we be tougher - more resilient and determined in our work - so we can accomplish all of the goals we set for ourselves? Based on our current research, we have come to realize that the problem is not our hectic schedule or the plane travel itself; the problem comes from a misunderstanding of what it means to be resilient, and the resulting impact of overworking.

We often take a militaristic, "tough" approach to resilience and grit. We imagine a Marine slogging through the mud, a boxer going one more round, or a football player picking himself up off the turf for one more play. We believe that the longer we tough it out, the tougher we are, and therefore the more successful we will be. However, this entire conception is scientifically inaccurate.

The very lack of a recovery period is dramatically holding back our collective ability to be resilient and successful. Research has found that there is a direct correlation between lack of recovery and increased incidence of health and safety problems. And lack of recovery - whether by disrupting sleep with thoughts of work or having continuous cognitive arousal by watching our phones - is costing our companies $62 billion a year (that's billion, not million) in lost productivity.

And just because work stops, it doesn't mean we are recovering. We "stop" work sometimes at 5PM, but then we spend the night wrestling with solutions to work problems, talking about our work over dinner, and falling asleep thinking about how much work we'll do tomorrow. In a study released last month, researchers from Norway found that 7.8% of Norwegians have become workaholics. The scientists cite a definition of "workaholism" as "being overly concerned about work, driven by an uncontrollable work motivation, and investing so much time and effort to work that it impairs other important life areas."

We believe that the number of people who fit that definition includes the majority of American workers, including those who read HBR, which prompted us to begin a study of workaholism in the U.S. Our study will use a large corporate dataset from a major medical company to examine how technology extends our working hours and thus interferes with necessary cognitive recovery, resulting in huge health care costs and turnover costs for employers.

The misconception of resilience is often bred from an early age. Parents trying to teach their children resilience might celebrate a high school student staying up until 3AM to finish a science fair project. What a distortion of resilience! A resilient child is a well-rested one. When an exhausted student goes to school, he risks hurting everyone on the road with his impaired driving; he doesn't have the cognitive resources to do well on his English test; he has lower self-control with his friends; and at home, he is moody with his parents. Overwork and exhaustion are the opposite of resilience. And the bad habits we learn when we're young only magnify when we hit the workforce.

In her excellent book, The Sleep Revolution, Arianna Huffington wrote, "We sacrifice sleep in the name of productivity, but ironically our loss of sleep, despite the extra hours we spend at work, adds up to 11 days of lost productivity per year per worker, or about $2,280."

The key to resilience is trying really hard, then stopping, recovering, and then trying again. This conclusion is based on biology. Homeostasis is a fundamental biological concept describing the ability of the brain to continuously restore and sustain well-being. Positive neuroscientist Brent Furl from Texas A&M University coined the term "homeostatic value" to describe the value that certain actions have for creating equilibrium, and thus wellbeing, in the body. When the body is out of alignment from overworking, we waste a vast amount of mental and physical resources trying to return to balance before we can move forward.

As Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz have written, if you have too much time in the performance zone, you need more time in the recovery zone, otherwise you risk burnout. Mustering your resources to "try hard" requires burning energy in order to overcome your currently low arousal level. This is called upregulation. It also exacerbates exhaustion. Thus the more imbalanced we become due to overworking, the more value there is in activities that allow us to return to a state of balance. The value of a recovery period rises in proportion to the amount of work required of us.

So how do we recover and build resilience? Most people assume that if you stop doing a task like answering emails or writing a paper, that your brain will naturally recover, such that when you start again later in the day or the next morning, you'll have your energy back. But surely everyone reading this has had times where you lie in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep because your brain is thinking about work. If you lie in bed for eight hours, you may have rested, but you can still feel exhausted the next day. That's because rest and recovery are not the same thing. Stopping does not equal recovering.

If you're trying to build resilience at work, you need adequate internal and external recovery periods. As researchers Zijlstra, Cropley and Rydstedt write in their 2014 paper: "Internal recovery refers to the shorter periods of relaxation that take place within the frames of the workday or the work setting in the form of short scheduled or unscheduled breaks, by shifting attention or changing to other work tasks when the mental or physical resources required for the initial task are temporarily depleted or exhausted. External recovery refers to actions that take place outside of work-e.g. in the free time between the workdays, and during weekends, holidays or vacations." If after work you lie around on your bed and get riled up by political commentary on your phone or get stressed thinking about decisions about how to renovate your home, your brain has not received a break from high mental arousal states. Our brains need a rest as much as our bodies do.

If you really want to build resilience, you can start by strategically stopping. Give yourself the resources to be tough by creating internal and external recovery periods. In her upcoming book The Future of Happiness, based on her work at Yale Business School, Amy Blankson describes how to strategically stop during the day by using technology to control overworking. She suggests downloading the Instant or Moment apps to see how many times you turn on your phone each day. The average person turns on their phone 150 times every day. If every distraction took only 1 minute (which would be seriously optimistic), that would account for 2.5 hours of every day.

You can use apps like Offtime or Unplugged to create tech free zones by strategically scheduling automatic airplane modes. In addition, you can take a cognitive break every 90 minutes to recharge your batteries. Try to not have lunch at your desk, but instead spend time outside or with your friends - not talking about work. Take all of your paid time off, which not only gives you recovery periods, but raises your productivity and likelihood of promotion.

As for us, we've started using our plane time as a work-free zone, and thus time to dip into the recovery phase. The results have been fantastic. We are usually tired already by the time we get on a plane, and the cramped space and spotty internet connection make work more challenging. Now, instead of swimming upstream, we relax, meditate, sleep, watch movies, journal, or listen to entertaining podcasts. And when we get off the plane, instead of being depleted, we feel rejuvenated and ready to return to the performance zone.

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Resilience Is About How You Recharge, Not How You Endure

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After working hard for long hours and toughing it out, we at least expect success. However, more often than not, at the end of the day we are exhausted and still have a long list of tasks to complete. Why does this happen?

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Just ran across this recently. Who doesn't need a dose of good news now and then?

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The Good News Network: Positive Stories 24/7

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Your daily source for only good news: Inspiring stories and images from around the world will make you feel uplifted, optimistic and positive about life.

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I haven't finished watching this whole interview yet (but I will), and I don't expect everyone to watch it all! The reason I posted it is because I think we all can learn from MacDonald's "bedside manner" (for lack of a better term). Just like in his book, he is humble but confident, and wise but not pretentious.

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CNLP 297: Gordon MacDonald Shares 8 Decades of Wisdom and Life Lessons

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Navy SEAL Mental Toughness: A Guide To Developing An Unbeatable Mind.

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Navy SEAL Mental Toughness: A Guide To Developing An Unbeatable Mind.

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This book will introduce to you some of the methods used by Navy SEALs to develop mental toughness and self-confidence. These techniques also apply to anyone who is interested in becoming more mentally tough, and who is willing to work toward achieving their specific
personal and professional goals.

https://www.amazon.ca/Navy-SEAL-Mental-Toughness-Developing-ebook/dp/B01HQMIZCE

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How To Apply The Brain Science Of Resilience To The Classroom

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How To Apply The Brain Science Of Resilience To The Classroom

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The children here aren't just learning this word for a little science enrichment. They're learning it because their school, and the nonprofit Wechsler works with, called Turnaround for Children, are trying to put a wave of science experiments into practice. The big mission: empower children growing up in poverty with the research-based tools to transform their own developing brains. And that means, in part, giving them the understanding that brains can indeed grow, change and heal.

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Neuroscience isn't on many elementary school lesson plans. But this spring, a second grade class at Fairmont Neighborhood School in the South Bronx is plunging in.

Sarah Wechsler, an instructional coach with wide eyes and a marathoner's energy, asks the students to think about the development and progress that they've made already in their lives.

"You probably don't remember, but there was a time when you didn't know how to speak and you were just like 'Wah wah wah blah blah blah, mama, mama!' " she tells the kids. "Our brain grows and changes when you try hard things, when you learn new things."

The children offer their own ideas. "Brains are pink!"

"Your brain can get smarter. For example, if you need help with your work, your brain is there in your head for you."

After watching a video with a cartoon brain, and doing an exercise where yarn stands in for connections between neurons, they seem to have absorbed the main point of the lesson. "There is stuff in your brain that if you take on a challenge and if you stick with it, it makes your brain smarter and it makes you smarter," says one girl.

And Wechsler makes sure they also know the day's big vocabulary word.

"Neuroplasticity! Say it to the light! Say it to the floor! Tell it to your brain!"
The science of adversity
The children here aren't just learning this word for a little science enrichment. They're learning it because their school, and the nonprofit Wechsler works with, called Turnaround for Children, are trying to put a wave of science experiments into practice. The big mission: empower children growing up in poverty with the research-based tools to transform their own developing brains. And that means, in part, giving them the understanding that brains can indeed grow, change and heal.

In the part of the South Bronx where Fairmont Neighborhood School is located, 49 percent of kids are growing up in single-mother households, according to census data. Nearly half of families earn $25,000 a year or less; 17.5 percent make less than $10,000 a year.

That kind of poverty is inherently stressful, says Fairmont's principal, Scott Wolfson. "Some of our students are sleeping in shelters, or not even in shelters but on the streets," he says. "They're thinking about, 'Where is Mom right now? And where am I going to sleep tonight?' That's a huge thing for an 8-year-old to carry."

They're thinking about, 'Where is Mom right now? And where am I going to sleep tonight?' That's a huge thing for an 8-year-old to carry.

Chronic stress and uncertainty, not to mention missed meals and restless nights, make it physically and mentally difficult for children to concentrate or form trusting bonds with adults. They become hypervigilant, prone to emotional meltdowns, with bodies thrown into fight-or-flight mode at the slightest disturbance.

"There's a body of knowledge that is not a hypothesis, it's a fact," says Dr. Pamela Cantor, the founder of Turnaround for Children. "Adversity alters how children develop as learners, and not in a good way."

Cantor first learned about the impact of trauma on the brain and body in medical school at Cornell in the 1980s. She worked in mental health in poor communities in the Bronx as part of her training, and saw what she called a "symptom cluster."

"It began to be obvious to me that all the children that I was seeing were struggling with relationships," she says. "They were struggling with learning. They were struggling with trust, struggling with attention span." And regardless of the details of their lives, she adds, these struggles had an underlying cause.

"Adversity has a biological impact on children's development through the mechanism of stress," she explains. "Cortisol [the hormone released when a person is under stress] is toxic to the developing brain and immune system. It impacts the development of the architecture of the brain so that children don't grow up to have the attentional or behavioral control to be able to engage as learners."

She says it has taken far too long for the science she first learned three decades ago to make it into schools.

So Cantor took things into her own hands by founding Turnaround for Children. The group has been working at Fairmont since Wolfson took over as principal in 2014. And they are now expanding to 10 schools in New York City, Newark, N.J., and Washington, D.C., while also working on research and policy to spread the word about the science of trauma and the science of resilience.
Drawing ACEs
Along with poverty itself, research shows that children in communities like these are more likely to have "adverse childhood experiences," known as ACES for short. These include the death of a caregiver, the incarceration of a family member, domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or addiction or mental illness in someone close to the child. When a child has more than four "ACEs," the impact lasts for decades. It can be seen not only in mental health, but in the incidence of chronic diseases and even cancer.

But, Cantor says, there's a flip side. While the young brain is impressionable to trauma, it can also be resilient. In a safe and orderly environment full of caring adults, she explains, children can find calm. They can build relationships. If they are given a chance to make better choices when they act out, rather than being punished, they learn that they can exert self-control. That, in turn, readies them to learn. "Neuroplasticity," that $5 word taught to the second-graders at Fairmont, is the term that captures the ability of the brain to grow, change and form new connections into adulthood.

That safe and caring environment is what Principal Wolfson and his teachers are trying to create at Fairmont, with Turnaround's help. Damon Cohen, who teaches second grade, is a middle-aged man with a beatific smile. "We are in the inner city and it's edgy," he says. "I want them to be peaceful, social creatures that know how to work and act and communicate."
Calming the chaos
The school has come a long way, but also has far to go.

A previous school in this building, P.S. 50, was phased out by the city due to poor performance. Fairmont was founded to replace it using nearly $3 million of federal grant money, by a principal who was gone within a few months. Wolfson, who was raised in the Bronx and has spent most of his education career here, stepped in midyear.

Both he and parents say the building used to be chaotic, with children roaming the hallways and fights in the classrooms.

Tameka Cassaberry has two girls at Fairmont and is the PTA president. Her older daughter, Kya Anpong, now 10, started in the previous school in kindergarten. At Kya's end-of-kindergarten celebration, a physical fight started among family members in the audience and spilled onto the stage, Cassaberry says.

"My family was there recording it, and it was out of control and it was embarrassing. People left, they didn't get to see my daughter perform. She was afraid to."

Cassaberry pulled her daughter out and sent her to school across the district, a tough commute. Now they're back at Fairmont. "With my older daughter, I've seen a crazy improvement," she says. "Her reading is amazing."

Wolfson reached out to nonprofits like the Children's Aid Society and the Girl Scouts to provide after-school programs and other services. One day when I visit, several children in each classroom are wearing new glasses supplied by donation.

He turned to Turnaround to help his teaching staff.

"Teachers needed a lot of professional development," he says. "They needed to be able to create physical environments that would be able to support children's success" and "allow and encourage children to work together."

Turnaround spent its first year in the school helping teachers perfect order, habit and discipline. The theory here is that chaotic schools - a loud hallway, a messy class - simply reproduce the stress that children may bring from home. Rules should be the same across the school, so students know what to expect. And students should be met with understanding and patience.

No detail is too small. I sit in on an individual session with Wechsler, Turnaround's instructional coach. She and a new teacher hash out whether to line up for lunch by girls and boys, or by table.

Many classes are team-taught, or have paraprofessional aides to help with behavior issues; nearly a third of the students are in special education. When children act out, teachers give them a chance to calm themselves and look for root causes.

"My son was having issues a couple years ago, so he was seeing a social worker" at the school, says Tracy White, who has three boys at Fairmont. "She'll bring him to the office, have him color or take a walk so he could get his anger down." Principal Wolfson says that with concerted effort, suspensions have fallen to fewer than one a year.

Last year, Turnaround introduced daily mindfulness sessions after lunch, which had been a tough transition time.

They use an app called Headspace. The classroom I visited fell perfectly silent for 10 minutes while the British-accented voice of a former monk filled the room, narrating a guided relaxation exercise. Some students stretched out on the rug and closed their eyes. Others pulled their hoods over their heads. Students say Headspace "quiets down your mind," "makes me feel calm and is fun."

Bu it's more than that, says Cantor, "Meditation has roots in neuroscience." Regular mindfulness-based stress reduction, she says, can actually shrink the amygdala, the "fear center" in the brain. Children who practice calming themselves get better at it. They spend more time in a state of mind where they are open to learning.
Believing in effort
This year, while continuing the mindfulness program, Turnaround has been applying another set of research findings by training the whole school in growth mindset.

This is the term coined by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck to describe the belief that people can progress and get better through effort, as opposed to "fixed mindset," the belief that ability is innate and unchanging. Experiments show each of these mindsets can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In a group professional development session, Wechsler coaches teachers on giving feedback. Instead of telling a child "good job" or "you're so smart" or "wrong answer," the teachers are encouraged to praise students' efforts, ask them about another strategy they might try; or even talk directly about how hard their brains are stretching and growing. Before the session, Wolfson speaks to the teachers about how he is trying to adopt a growth mindset about the progress that needs to be made at Fairmont.

"Thinking of ourselves as learners means that we will have the ability to get better through practice, through effort, and through possibly failures along the way," he tells me. "Growth mindset is helping, not only my children, but also my teachers, to understand that."

Over the course of the spring, Wechsler comes into each classroom, from kindergarten to fifth grade, to help teach growth mindset. It takes some time to schedule these, because the school also has to get ready for an intensive quality review from the district, as well as spring testing.

The changes at Fairmont have yet to be reflected in dramatic improvement in academics. Last year, just 10 percent of students met state standards on the English Language Arts test, and just 8 percent in math. That compares with 40 and 39 percent citywide.

Turnaround for Children is tracking its impact across schools in other ways. It has documented improvements in classroom management and student engagement, using independent observers. The group also has seen drops in suspensions and increased referrals to mental health services. And most recently, it has found that students' theories of intelligence are changing. After the growth mindset lessons, students are more likely to say they can get smarter if they try.

"I do worry about our test scores," says Wolfson. "Unfortunately, that's like the bottom line for us. But without the social-emotional support we can't address the academics. We have to support the whole child."

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How To Apply The Brain Science Of Resilience To The Classroom

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Neuroscience isn't on many elementary school lesson plans. But this spring, a second grade class at Fairmont Neighborhood School in the South Bronx is plunging in. Sarah Wechsler, an instructional coach with wide eyes and a marathoner's energy, asks the students to think about the development and progress that they've made already in their lives.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r8hj72bfGo

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Interesting article reiterating a lot of what we have already covered in class. Interesting was the segment on "optimism"- how optimism that is not framed within hard realities can be detrimental to resilience.

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When I began my career in journalism-I was a reporter at a national magazine in those days-there was a man I'll call Claus Schmidt. He was in his mid-fifties, and to my impressionable eyes, he was the quintessential newsman: cynical at times, but unrelentingly curious and full of life, and often hilariously funny in a sandpaper-dry kind of way. He churned out hard-hitting cover stories and features with a speed and elegance I could only dream of. It always astounded me that he was never promoted to managing editor.

But people who knew Claus better than I did thought of him not just as a great newsman but as a quintessential survivor, someone who had endured in an environment often hostile to talent. He had lived through at least three major changes in the magazine's leadership, losing most of his best friends and colleagues on the way. At home, two of his children succumbed to incurable illnesses, and a third was killed in a traffic accident. Despite all this-or maybe because of it-he milled around the newsroom day after day, mentoring the cub reporters, talking about the novels he was writing-always looking forward to what the future held for him.

Why do some people suffer real hardships and not falter? Claus Schmidt could have reacted very differently. We've all seen that happen: One person cannot seem to get the confidence back after a layoff; another, persistently depressed, takes a few years off from life after her divorce. The question we would all like answered is, Why? What exactly is that quality of resilience that carries people through life?

It's a question that has fascinated me ever since I first learned of the Holocaust survivors in elementary school. In college, and later in my studies as an affiliate scholar at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, I returned to the subject. For the past several months, however, I have looked on it with a new urgency, for it seems to me that the terrorism, war, and recession of recent months have made understanding resilience more important than ever. I have considered both the nature of individual resilience and what makes some organizations as a whole more resilient than others. Why do some people and some companies buckle under pressure? And what makes others bend and ultimately bounce back?

My exploration has taught me much about resilience, although it's a subject none of us will ever understand fully. Indeed, resilience is one of the great puzzles of human nature, like creativity or the religious instinct. But in sifting through psychological research and in reflecting on the many stories of resilience I've heard, I have seen a little more deeply into the hearts and minds of people like Claus Schmidt and, in doing so, looked more deeply into the human psyche as well.

The Buzz About Resilience

Resilience is a hot topic in business these days. Not long ago, I was talking to a senior partner at a respected consulting firm about how to land the very best MBAs-the name of the game in that particular industry. The partner, Daniel Savageau (not his real name), ticked off a long list of qualities his firm sought in its hires: intelligence, ambition, integrity, analytic ability, and so on. "What about resilience?" I asked. "Well, that's very popular right now," he said. "It's the new buzzword. Candidates even tell us they're resilient; they volunteer the information. But frankly, they're just too young to know that about themselves. Resilience is something you realize you have after the fact."

"But if you could, would you test for it?" I asked. "Does it matter in business?"

Savageau paused. He's a man in his late forties and a success personally and professionally. Yet it hadn't been a smooth ride to the top. He'd started his life as a poor French Canadian in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and had lost his father at six. He lucked into a football scholarship but was kicked out of Boston University twice for drinking. He turned his life around in his twenties, married, divorced, remarried, and raised five children. Along the way, he made and lost two fortunes before helping to found the consulting firm he now runs. "Yes, it does matter," he said at last. "In fact, it probably matters more than any of the usual things we look for." In the course of reporting this article, I heard the same assertion time and again. As Dean Becker, the president and CEO of Adaptiv Learning Systems, a four-year-old company in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, that develops and delivers programs about resilience training, puts it: "More than education, more than experience, more than training, a person's level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails. That's true in the cancer ward, it's true in the Olympics, and it's true in the boardroom."

Academic research into resilience started about 40 years ago with pioneering studies by Norman Garmezy, now a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. After studying why many children of schizophrenic parents did not suffer psychological illness as a result of growing up with them, he concluded that a certain quality of resilience played a greater role in mental health than anyone had previously suspected.

Today, theories abound about what makes resilience. Looking at Holocaust victims, Maurice Vanderpol, a former president of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, found that many of the healthy survivors of concentration camps had what he calls a "plastic shield." The shield was comprised of several factors, including a sense of humor. Often the humor was black, but nonetheless it provided a critical sense of perspective. Other core characteristics that helped included the ability to form attachments to others and the possession of an inner psychological space that protected the survivors from the intrusions of abusive others. Research about other groups uncovered different qualities associated with resilience. The Search Institute, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that focuses on resilience and youth, found that the more resilient kids have an uncanny ability to get adults to help them out. Still other research showed that resilient inner-city youth often have talents such as athletic abilities that attract others to them.

Many of the early theories about resilience stressed the role of genetics. Some people are just born resilient, so the arguments went. There's some truth to that, of course, but an increasing body of empirical evidence shows that resilience-whether in children, survivors of concentration camps, or businesses back from the brink-can be learned. For example, George Vaillant, the director of the Study of Adult Development at Harvard Medical School in Boston, observes that within various groups studied during a 60-year period, some people became markedly more resilient over their lifetimes. Other psychologists claim that unresilient people more easily develop resiliency skills than those with head starts.

Most of the resilience theories I encountered in my research make good common sense. But I also observed that almost all the theories overlap in three ways. Resilient people, they posit, possess three characteristics: a staunch acceptance of reality; a deep belief, often buttressed by strongly held values, that life is meaningful; and an uncanny ability to improvise. You can bounce back from hardship with just one or two of these qualities, but you will only be truly resilient with all three. These three characteristics hold true for resilient organizations as well. Let's take a look at each of them in turn.

Facing Down Reality

A common belief about resilience is that it stems from an optimistic nature. That's true but only as long as such optimism doesn't distort your sense of reality. In extremely adverse situations, rose-colored thinking can actually spell disaster. This point was made poignantly to me by management researcher and writer Jim Collins, who happened upon this concept while researching Good to Great, his book on how companies transform themselves out of mediocrity. Collins had a hunch (an exactly wrong hunch) that resilient companies were filled with optimistic people. He tried out that idea on Admiral Jim Stockdale, who was held prisoner and tortured by the Vietcong for eight years.

Collins recalls: "I asked Stockdale: 'Who didn't make it out of the camps?' And he said, 'Oh, that's easy. It was the optimists. They were the ones who said we were going to be out by Christmas. And then they said we'd be out by Easter and then out by Fourth of July and out by Thanksgiving, and then it was Christmas again.' Then Stockdale turned to me and said, 'You know, I think they all died of broken hearts.'"

In the business world, Collins found the same unblinking attitude shared by executives at all the most successful companies he studied. Like Stockdale, resilient people have very sober and down-to-earth views of those parts of reality that matter for survival. That's not to say that optimism doesn't have its place: In turning around a demoralized sales force, for instance, conjuring a sense of possibility can be a very powerful tool. But for bigger challenges, a cool, almost pessimistic, sense of reality is far more important.

Perhaps you're asking yourself, "Do I truly understand-and accept-the reality of my situation? Does my organization?" Those are good questions, particularly because research suggests most people slip into denial as a coping mechanism. Facing reality, really facing it, is grueling work. Indeed, it can be unpleasant and often emotionally wrenching. Consider the following story of organizational resilience, and see what it means to confront reality.

Prior to September 11, 2001, Morgan Stanley, the famous investment bank, was the largest tenant in the World Trade Center. The company had some 2,700 employees working in the south tower on 22 floors between the 43rd and the 74th. On that horrible day, the first plane hit the north tower at 8:46 am, and Morgan Stanley started evacuating just one minute later, at 8:47 am. When the second plane crashed into the south tower 15 minutes after that, Morgan Stanley's offices were largely empty. All told, the company lost only seven employees despite receiving an almost direct hit.

Of course, the organization was just plain lucky to be in the second tower. Cantor Fitzgerald, whose offices were hit in the first attack, couldn't have done anything to save its employees. Still, it was Morgan Stanley's hard-nosed realism that enabled the company to benefit from its luck. Soon after the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, senior management recognized that working in such a symbolic center of U.S. commercial power made the company vulnerable to attention from terrorists and possible attack.

With this grim realization, Morgan Stanley launched a program of preparedness at the micro level. Few companies take their fire drills seriously. Not so Morgan Stanley, whose VP of security for the Individual Investor Group, Rick Rescorla, brought a military discipline to the job. Rescorla, himself a highly resilient, decorated Vietnam vet, made sure that people were fully drilled about what to do in a catastrophe. When disaster struck on September 11, Rescorla was on a bullhorn telling Morgan Stanley employees to stay calm and follow their well-practiced drill, even though some building supervisors were telling occupants that all was well. Sadly, Rescorla himself, whose life story has been widely covered in recent months, was one of the seven who didn't make it out.

"When you're in financial services where so much depends on technology, contingency planning is a major part of your business," says President and COO Robert G. Scott. But Morgan Stanley was prepared for the very toughest reality. It had not just one, but three, recovery sites where employees could congregate and business could take place if work locales were ever disrupted. "Multiple backup sites seemed like an incredible extravagance on September 10," concedes Scott. "But on September 12, they seemed like genius."

Maybe it was genius; it was undoubtedly resilience at work. The fact is, when we truly stare down reality, we prepare ourselves to act in ways that allow us to endure and survive extraordinary hardship. We train ourselves how to survive before the fact.

The Search for Meaning

The ability to see reality is closely linked to the second building block of resilience, the propensity to make meaning of terrible times. We all know people who, under duress, throw up their hands and cry, "How can this be happening to me?" Such people see themselves as victims, and living through hardship carries no lessons for them. But resilient people devise constructs about their suffering to create some sort of meaning for themselves and others.

I have a friend I'll call Jackie Oiseaux who suffered repeated psychoses over a ten-year period due to an undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Today, she holds down a big job in one of the top publishing companies in the country, has a family, and is a prominent member of her church community. When people ask her how she bounced back from her crises, she runs her hands through her hair. "People sometimes say, 'Why me?' But I've always said, 'Why not me?' True, I lost many things during my illness," she says, "but I found many more-incredible friends who saw me through the bleakest times and who will give meaning to my life forever."

This dynamic of meaning making is, most researchers agree, the way resilient people build bridges from present-day hardships to a fuller, better constructed future. Those bridges make the present manageable, for lack of a better word, removing the sense that the present is overwhelming. This concept was beautifully articulated by Viktor E. Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and an Auschwitz survivor. In the midst of staggering suffering, Frankl invented "meaning therapy," a humanistic therapy technique that helps individuals make the kinds of decisions that will create significance in their lives.

In his book Man's Search for Meaning, Frankl described the pivotal moment in the camp when he developed meaning therapy. He was on his way to work one day, worrying whether he should trade his last cigarette for a bowl of soup. He wondered how he was going to work with a new foreman whom he knew to be particularly sadistic. Suddenly, he was disgusted by just how trivial and meaningless his life had become. He realized that to survive, he had to find some purpose. Frankl did so by imagining himself giving a lecture after the war on the psychology of the concentration camp, to help outsiders understand what he had been through. Although he wasn't even sure he would survive, Frankl created some concrete goals for himself. In doing so, he succeeded in rising above the sufferings of the moment. As he put it in his book: "We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed."

Frankl's theory underlies most resilience coaching in business. Indeed, I was struck by how often businesspeople referred to his work. "Resilience training-what we call hardiness-is a way for us to help people construct meaning in their everyday lives," explains Salvatore R. Maddi, a University of California, Irvine psychology professor and the director of the Hardiness Institute in Newport Beach, California. "When people realize the power of resilience training, they often say, 'Doc, is this what psychotherapy is?' But psychotherapy is for people whose lives have fallen apart badly and need repair. We see our work as showing people life skills and attitudes. Maybe those things should be taught at home, maybe they should be taught in schools, but they're not. So we end up doing it in business."

Yet the challenge confronting resilience trainers is often more difficult than we might imagine. Meaning can be elusive, and just because you found it once doesn't mean you'll keep it or find it again. Consider Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who survived the war against the Nazis, imprisonment in the gulag, and cancer. Yet when he moved to a farm in peaceful, safe Vermont, he could not cope with the "infantile West." He was unable to discern any real meaning in what he felt to be the destructive and irresponsible freedom of the West. Upset by his critics, he withdrew into his farmhouse, behind a locked fence, seldom to be seen in public. In 1994, a bitter man, Solzhenitsyn moved back to Russia.

Since finding meaning in one's environment is such an important aspect of resilience, it should come as no surprise that the most successful organizations and people possess strong value systems. Strong values infuse an environment with meaning because they offer ways to interpret and shape events. While it's popular these days to ridicule values, it's surely no coincidence that the most resilient organization in the world has been the Catholic Church, which has survived wars, corruption, and schism for more than 2,000 years, thanks largely to its immutable set of values. Businesses that survive also have their creeds, which give them purposes beyond just making money. Strikingly, many companies describe their value systems in religious terms. Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, for instance, calls its value system, set out in a document given to every new employee at orientation, the Credo. Parcel company UPS talks constantly about its Noble Purpose.

Value systems at resilient companies change very little over the years and are used as scaffolding in times of trouble. UPS Chairman and CEO Mike Eskew believes that the Noble Purpose helped the company to rally after the agonizing strike in 1997. Says Eskew: "It was a hugely difficult time, like a family feud. Everyone had close friends on both sides of the fence, and it was tough for us to pick sides. But what saved us was our Noble Purpose. Whatever side people were on, they all shared a common set of values. Those values are core to us and never change; they frame most of our important decisions. Our strategy and our mission may change, but our values never do."

The religious connotations of words like "credo," "values," and "noble purpose," however, should not be confused with the actual content of the values. Companies can hold ethically questionable values and still be very resilient. Consider Phillip Morris, which has demonstrated impressive resilience in the face of increasing unpopularity. As Jim Collins points out, Phillip Morris has very strong values, although we might not agree with them-for instance, the value of "adult choice." But there's no doubt that Phillip Morris executives believe strongly in its values, and the strength of their beliefs sets the company apart from most of the other tobacco companies. In this context, it is worth noting that resilience is neither ethically good nor bad. It is merely the skill and the capacity to be robust under conditions of enormous stress and change. As Viktor Frankl wrote: "On the average, only those prisoners could keep alive who, after years of trekking from camp to camp, had lost all scruples in their fight for existence; they were prepared to use every means, honest and otherwise, even brutal..., in order to save themselves. We who have come back...we know: The best of us did not return."

Values, positive or negative, are actually more important for organizational resilience than having resilient people on the payroll. If resilient employees are all interpreting reality in different ways, their decisions and actions may well conflict, calling into doubt the survival of their organization. And as the weakness of an organization becomes apparent, highly resilient individuals are more likely to jettison the organization than to imperil their own survival.

Ritualized Ingenuity

The third building block of resilience is the ability to make do with whatever is at hand. Psychologists follow the lead of French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss in calling this skill bricolage. ¹ Intriguingly, the roots of that word are closely tied to the concept of resilience, which literally means "bouncing back." Says Levi-Strauss: "In its old sense, the verb bricoler ...was always used with reference to some extraneous movement: a ball rebounding, a dog straying, or a horse swerving from its direct course to avoid an obstacle."

Bricolage in the modern sense can be defined as a kind of inventiveness, an ability to improvise a solution to a problem without proper or obvious tools or materials. Bricoleurs are always tinkering-building radios from household effects or fixing their own cars. They make the most of what they have, putting objects to unfamiliar uses. In the concentration camps, for example, resilient inmates knew to pocket pieces of string or wire whenever they found them. The string or wire might later become useful-to fix a pair of shoes, perhaps, which in freezing conditions might make the difference between life and death.

When situations unravel, bricoleurs muddle through, imagining possibilities where others are confounded. I have two friends, whom I'll call Paul Shields and Mike Andrews, who were roommates throughout their college years. To no one's surprise, when they graduated, they set up a business together, selling educational materials to schools, businesses, and consulting firms. At first, the company was a great success, making both founders paper millionaires. But the recession of the early 1990s hit the company hard, and many core clients fell away. At the same time, Paul experienced a bitter divorce and a depression that made it impossible for him to work. Mike offered to buy Paul out but was instead slapped with a lawsuit claiming that Mike was trying to steal the business. At this point, a less resilient person might have just walked away from the mess. Not Mike. As the case wound through the courts, he kept the company going any way he could-constantly morphing the business until he found a model that worked: going into joint ventures to sell English-language training materials to Russian and Chinese companies. Later, he branched off into publishing newsletters for clients. At one point, he was even writing video scripts for his competitors. Thanks to all this bricolage, by the time the lawsuit was settled in his favor, Mike had an entirely different, and much more solid, business than the one he had started with.

Bricolage can be practiced on a higher level as well. Richard Feynman, winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize in physics, exemplified what I like to think of as intellectual bricolage. Out of pure curiosity, Feynman made himself an expert on cracking safes, not only looking at the mechanics of safecracking but also cobbling together psychological insights about people who used safes and set the locks. He cracked many of the safes at Los Alamos, for instance, because he guessed that theoretical physicists would not set the locks with random code numbers they might forget but would instead use a sequence with mathematical significance. It turned out that the three safes containing all the secrets to the atomic bomb were set to the same mathematical constant, e, whose first six digits are 2.71828.

Resilient organizations are stuffed with bricoleurs, though not all of them, of course, are Richard Feynmans. Indeed, companies that survive regard improvisation as a core skill. Consider UPS, which empowers its drivers to do whatever it takes to deliver packages on time. Says CEO Eskew: "We tell our employees to get the job done. If that means they need to improvise, they improvise. Otherwise we just couldn't do what we do every day. Just think what can go wrong: a busted traffic light, a flat tire, a bridge washed out. If a snowstorm hits Louisville tonight, a group of people will sit together and discuss how to handle the problem. Nobody tells them to do that. They come together because it's our tradition to do so."

That tradition meant that the company was delivering parcels in southeast Florida just one day after Hurricane Andrew devastated the region in 1992, causing billions of dollars in damage. Many people were living in their cars because their homes had been destroyed, yet UPS drivers and managers sorted packages at a diversion site and made deliveries even to those who were stranded in their cars. It was largely UPS's improvisational skills that enabled it to keep functioning after the catastrophic hit. And the fact that the company continued on gave others a sense of purpose or meaning amid the chaos.

Improvisation of the sort practiced by UPS, however, is a far cry from unbridled creativity. Indeed, much like the military, UPS lives on rules and regulations. As Eskew says: "Drivers always put their keys in the same place. They close the doors the same way. They wear their uniforms the same way. We are a company of precision." He believes that although they may seem stifling, UPS's rules were what allowed the company to bounce back immediately after Hurricane Andrew, for they enabled people to focus on the one or two fixes they needed to make in order to keep going.

Eskew's opinion is echoed by Karl E. Weick, a professor of organizational behavior at the University of Michigan Business School in Ann Arbor and one of the most respected thinkers on organizational psychology. "There is good evidence that when people are put under pressure, they regress to their most habituated ways of responding," Weick has written. "What we do not expect under life-threatening pressure is creativity." In other words, the rules and regulations that make some companies appear less creative may actually make them more resilient in times of real turbulence.* * *

Claus Schmidt, the newsman I mentioned earlier, died about five years ago, but I'm not sure I could have interviewed him about his own resilience even if he were alive. It would have felt strange, I think, to ask him, "Claus, did you really face down reality? Did you make meaning out of your hardships? Did you improvise your recovery after each professional and personal disaster?" He may not have been able to answer. In my experience, resilient people don't often describe themselves that way. They shrug off their survival stories and very often assign them to luck.

Obviously, luck does have a lot to do with surviving. It was luck that Morgan Stanley was situated in the south tower and could put its preparedness training to work. But being lucky is not the same as being resilient. Resilience is a reflex, a way of facing and understanding the world, that is deeply etched into a person's mind and soul. Resilient people and companies face reality with staunchness, make meaning of hardship instead of crying out in despair, and improvise solutions from thin air. Others do not. This is the nature of resilience, and we will never completely understand it.

A version of this article appeared in the May 2002 issue of Harvard Business Review.

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When I began my career in journalism-I was a reporter at a national magazine in those days-there was a man I'll call Claus Schmidt. He was in his mid-fifties, and to my impressionable eyes, he was the quintessential newsman: cynical at times, but unrelentingly curious and full of life, and often hilariously funny in a sandpaper-dry kind of way.

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Just one of many stories of resilience following the Rwandan genocide

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Just one of many stories of resilience following the Rwandan genocide

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The name Walter is taken from a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the army" (http:/ www.behindthename.com), yet the Walter I was honoured to meet and connect with, like a mother to a son, is a beautifully made gentle soul, soft spoken, always smiling and showing no outer scars of a person exposed to some of the worst brutalities against humankind. On the contrary, he is poised, warm, friendly and grateful for his portion, for his cup in life, once empty even of basic needs that every child is entitled to and flung to the harsh elements of fate, is brimming with goodness and soon will overflow. This is because a young man realized that if he was so cruelly flung into the valley of death as a child, alone, confused, hungry, thirsty and lost in the crowds of hurting people fleeing for their lives with empty hands and aching hearts, he was alive for a purpose. All they had was the sky above as their roof and each other-strangers by blood but brothers in circumstances. He remains beautifully made and hopeful that there is still goodness to be enjoyed.

Walter Nsengiyumva was born in Karengera, Cyangugu, Rwanda on 22 December 1984 to Leon Mbarushimana and Nukarubana Beatrice. His father is a tailor and his mother a primary school teacher. Walter recalls that in 1990, when he was about 6 years old, conflict started in his country. He was attending primary school. The entwined story of the Rwandan monarchy, Tutsi rule and resistance, the country becoming a republic and the rising of the Hutus all resulted in war. Bombings, butchering, burning of villages, looting, gunshots, and violence against women and children were rife, resulting in the mass exodus of villagers. The working citizens of Rwanda in marketplaces, churches and other places where people congregated were targeted by insurgents and resulted in the senseless killing of the helpless and innocent. Confusion between tribes emerged. Tribal lines were blurred since the government and army were made up of the Hutus and Tutsis. The real reason for the war was no longer known. By July 1994, the RPF (Ugandan trained soldiers party) controlled most of Rwanda. Out of great fear, the people fled to surrounding countries. Most moved into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including Walter and his family. He continued his primary school education in exile. In 1997, rumblings of conflict in the DRC were heard. Refugee camps were attacked and, once again, the senseless slaughtering of the innocent and helpless occurred.

Once again, the family was uprooted and fled from this battlefield of bombs and bullets. Heartbroken and homeless survivors had to literally walk through pathways of death, through parts of the central African jungles face-to-face with wild animals, hunger and illness. The stench of fear and death filled the air. Dead bodies, with missing body parts, were disrespectfully strewn all over. Walter recalls at a certain point on this deadly walk many people, already weak from starvation and thirst, jumping over corpses who became violently ill. Nobody was allowed to speak to avoid being heard by fighters who would detect the nearby passersby. Many crying and dying children were carried by helpless, grief-stricken parents. Family members had to make the painful decision to move while leaving behind the fatigued, hurt and sick including their own children. After six months of walking, seeking refuge in that forest, they were attacked at the Congo River, which is wide and filled with crocodiles, hippos and venomous snakes, causing people to become scattered. Gunshots were heard in the direction of the water, which forced the crowds to move into the water. Many separations occurred. Walter's parents and siblings were all separated. It became a walk with strangers. Refugees clung to one another for companionship and direction.

Walter recalls that at one point he was feeling sick and had to lie down on a small concrete area where small boats come in to dock on the side of the river. He heard gunshots and saw two dying women next to him. One of the soldiers called out to Walter beckoning him to halt. Walter was terrified and took to safety by running into the water, sinking into the mud and river weeds. The weeds anchored him as he choked in mud. He managed to come up but the water currents were too strong for this young child and he was carried downstream. As he continued his way down the river he saw a man fishing. They did not speak the same language but the man noticed that Walter was sick. The man gave Walter a piece of dried fish and cassava to eat and guided him by showing him the way forward. Alone, fatigued, cold and filled with fear, Walter continued his walk in the forest. As daylight curtains were closing, he met a group of about 20 survivors who had fled an earlier shooting. They were met by a Congolese pastor who had a strategic hiding place. He managed to assist their crossing of the river on his small boat. Crossing during the day was dangerous and the pastor requested the survivors to wait till dark. Morning broke and they found their way at sunrise. The people walked for about one-and-a-half days. Walter spotted his baby brother, Abayo, sitting on the forest pathway crying as he was in severe pain from a wounded and swollen foot. Ten-year-old Walter picked up his four-year-old baby brother and placed him on his back. He was heavy but Walter was now his brother's keeper. It was a bittersweet reunion and they comforted one another. They struggled to catch up with the others but their little limbs were fatigued. With each moment the separation gap became wider. They managed to come to the main road where they followed the footprints of other refugees ahead of them. A hunter in the forest spotted Walter wearing a belt and requested that it be handed over or he would shoot him in the chest with the arrow. Walter carefully put down his little brother, removed the belt, handed it to the hunter, lifted his brother and placed him on his back. They silently continued to walk. Starvation continued for days. Night was approaching and they could not move anymore. They decided to rest on the side of the grassy pathway. Armed soldiers who were following the refugees passed by. One soldier stopped and almost brushed past Walter and his brother in the dark. The soldier began to urinate unaware that he did so on the two little boys who were too terrified to move in case they were shot in the dark.

In the morning, Walter and Abayo continued to walk. Days later, they met a lady praying with a rosary in her hand. Walter was also wearing his rosary. She saw them come towards her and embraced them, cried and begged them to stay with her. At first, Walter refused but the boys were helpless, fatigued, starving and hurt so his better judgment won. The woman's husband was a chief in that particular village. The boys lived with them for two months. The daughter of the chief was a religious sister and she assisted with speeding up the process of family reconciliation. The International Committee of the Red Cross came to fetch refugee children who were lost in the Equatorial Forest. Walter and Abayo, along with other children, were brought to Rwanda. After 9 years of painful separation, the two were reunited with their relatives and then with their mother. After 10 years of separation, they received news that their father was alive. Walter completed secondary school. His family, refugees from Rwanda in the DRC, then took root in Brazzaville, Congo. Walter is now in South Africa studying towards a Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering at the Durban University of Technology. He is completing his third year and has produced outstanding results so far. Industry usually gives first preference to local students but Walter's results were so exceptional that they opened doors for him.

His studies were sponsored by an Italian company and he is now being recruited by a German company, prepared to send him to Germany to do practical work. Baby brother, Abayo Innocent saw Walter as his role model and decided that he would join him in South Africa as he was completing high school. On 4 March 2012, there was a series of blasts at an army arms dump in Brazzaville, which was close to the school that Abayo Innocent attended. Sadly, he was one of the many who were tragically killed. At the age of four, Abayo walked for years to find refuge and, despite his innocent spirit being weighed down by painful circumstances, he too blossomed into a promising young man, filled with potential to give to mankind, but cruelly taken at age 19. Walter was in South Africa at the time and was unable to say goodbye to the little brother he carried through the snares of life or to even comfort his parents.

Stripped of material possessions but armed only with a strong spirit together with faith and hope in each hand, Walter vowed that he will make a success out of his life. Education would enable him to help his family fight the scourge of poverty and injustices heaped upon the helpless and voiceless. With encouragement from his parents, Walter felt motivated. He realized that education was the vital key that would open doors to a meaningful and fulfilling life since education can endow a human being with dignity, independence, power to make the correct decisions, vision to see potential, a voice to debate, negotiate and have opinions. Although education is a basic human right, young budding minds of refugees are robbed of this stimulating nutrition. Education empowers and gives much needed hope so that the total person can make a meaningful contribution to a world often starved of peace.

Displaced people often lose hope, their humanity and their ability to trust and love. Children are stripped of the things we take for granted-morning hugs, greetings, breakfasts with family or even praying together. They have no land, home or sense of belonging. Against all these odds Walter is a focused young man who believes that God has been gracious and generous by sending helpers who assisted his safe passage.

At conception, God places a 'Resilient Seed of Hope' in the heart of every human being and despite the weeds around us, if appropriately nourished and allowed to sprout, grow and blossom, then that tree will bear flowers and fruit for all God's creatures to enjoy. Walter is a living example of that. Walter is a living sign of resilience and hope for all.

More articles by
UN Chronicle

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The name Walter is taken from a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the army" (http:/ www.behindthename.com), yet the Walter I was honoured to meet and connect with, like a mother to a son, is a beautifully made gentle soul, soft spoken, always smiling and showing no outer scars of a person exposed to some of the worst brutalities against humankind.

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I found it very helpful to build a resiliency soundtrack on my phone. It is great to listen to while working out in order to build physical resilience. (I debated just posting the whole playlist, but I think the idea of doing it for yourself is what is important. PM me on moodle if you want and I can share my full soundtrack.) Unfortunately modern worship music fails me as far as resilience is concerned for at least 3 reasons: 1. There is very little "lament" in modern worship. 2. Much of modern worship music has the message that God is there for you. This is true, but for resilience you need the message, "Do not give up" (see Gal.6:7-10) 3. The production of modern worship music is too "safe". I find I need something more edgy and motivational not contemplative or poppy.

Below is one of my favourite tracks from my resiliency soundtrack with many parallels from class. (Ironically I chose one to share that is slightly poppy and contemplative!)

"...I felt a cold chill down my spine as the needle broke skin and went in / thought this was a battle that I wasn't going to win... I got to understand what's the reason for those days / a new sense of purpose and chance to give praise."

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Resiliency as an indicator of Post Traumatic Growth

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Resiliency as an indicator of Post Traumatic Growth

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As Kay Wilson struggled to make her way through a Jerusalem forest after being repeatedly stabbed by a Palestinian terrorist, she distracted herself from her agony by playing the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in her mind, composing a new piano arrangement while she fought for breath and forced herself to put one bare foot in front of the other.

Wilson, then 46, had been working as a tour guide when, on Dec. 18, 2010, she and a friend were ambushed by terrorists. Wilson witnessed her friend's murder and was herself viciously stabbed with a machete, ultimately playing dead as her attacker plunged his knife into her chest a final time.

She eventually recovered from her severe physical wounds and is healing from her psychological trauma. She now speaks to global audiences about her survival, hoping to "dispel hatred, whether toward Arabs or Jews."

The work "helps me make meaning out of something so senseless," says Wilson, who is also writing a book about her experiences.

After the attack, Wilson had flashbacks and deep survivor's guilt. But like many people who have survived trauma, she has found positive change as well-a new appreciation for life, a newfound sense of personal strength and a new focus on helping others.

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is a theory that explains this kind of transformation following trauma. It was developed by psychologists Richard Tedeschi, PhD, and Lawrence Calhoun, PhD, in the mid-1990s, and holds that people who endure psychological struggle following adversity can often see positive growth afterward.

"People develop new understandings of themselves, the world they live in, how to relate to other people, the kind of future they might have and a better understanding of how to live life," says Tedeschi.

How can clinicians use PTG theory to help patients? How has new research helped refine understanding of it? Here's a look at developments in the field.

Signs of post-traumatic growth

PTG can be confused with resilience, but the two are different constructs (see "The post-traumatic growth inventory" below).

"PTG is sometimes considered synonymous with resilience because becoming more resilient as a result of struggle with trauma can be an example of PTG-but PTG is different from resilience, says Kanako Taku, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Oakland University, who has both researched PTG and experienced it as a survivor of the 1995 Kobe earthquake in Japan.

"Resiliency is the personal attribute or ability to bounce back," says Taku. PTG, on the other hand, refers to what can happen when someone who has difficulty bouncing back experiences a traumatic event that challenges his or her core beliefs, endures psychological struggle (even a mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder), and then ultimately finds a sense of personal growth. It's a process that "takes a lot of time, energy and struggle," Taku says.

Someone who is already resilient when trauma occurs won't experience PTG because a resilient person isn't rocked to the core by an event and doesn't have to seek a new belief system, explains Tedeschi. Less resilient people, on the other hand, may go through distress and confusion as they try to understand why this terrible thing happened to them and what it means for their world view.

To evaluate whether and to what extent someone has achieved growth after a trauma, psychologists use a variety of self-report scales. One that was developed by Tedeschi and Calhoun is the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) (Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1996). It looks for positive responses in five areas:

Appreciation of life.

Relationships with others.

New possibilities in life.

Personal strength.

Spiritual change.

The scale is being revised to add new items that will expand the "spiritual change" domain, says Tedeschi. This is being done "to incorporate more existential themes that should resonate with those who are more secular" as well as reflect cross-cultural differences in perceptions of spirituality.

A predisposition for growth?

How many people experience PTG? Tedeschi prefers not to put a hard number on it.

"It all depends on the trauma, the circumstances, the timing of the measurement ... [and] on how you define growth using the PTGI, looking at total score, means, factors or individual items," he says. However, he estimates that about one-half to two-thirds of people show PTG.

Some PTG researchers have tried to corroborate self-reported growth by questioning friends and family members about whether growth "sticks."

"We are getting more studies that show that PTG is generally stable over time, with a few people showing increases and a few showing decreases," Tedeschi says. "It is now up to us to learn what is going on with those who change over time, but the evidence is for stability in general, and also corroboration by others."

There appear to be two traits that make some more likely to experience PTG, says Tedeschi: openness to experience and extraversion. That's because people who are more open are more likely to reconsider their belief systems, says Tedeschi, and extroverts are more likely to be more active in response to trauma and seek out connections with others.

Women also tend to report more growth than men, says Tedeschi, but the difference is relatively small.

Age also can be a factor, with children under 8 less likely to have the cognitive capacity to experience PTG, while those in late adolescence and early adulthood-who may already be trying to determine their world view-are more open to the type of change that such growth reflects, says Tedeschi.

There also may be genetic underpinnings for PTG, but researchers are just beginning to tease this out. In a 2014 study in the Journal of Affective Disorders, for example, Harvard social and psychiatric epidemiologist Erin Dunn, ScD, and a team of researchers examined data previously collected from over 200 Hurricane Katrina survivors and found that variants in the gene RGS2 significantly interacted with levels of exposure to the hurricane to predict PTG. RGS2 is linked to fear-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder and anxiety.

Dunn calls the results "very interesting" but notes that "we have to be somewhat cautious in interpreting it because we were unable to find a similar sample to replicate that finding."

Sarah Lowe, PhD, of Montclair State University, who worked with Dunn on the research, says one difficulty with gene studies for PTG is the concept's complexity. "If you look at what predicts PTG, it is often psychological stress and dysfunction-but also more positive personality traits like optimism and future orientation, which you'd expect would have a very different genetic basis," she says.

Theory into practice

Is it possible to prepare people for PTG, to pave the way should tragedy or trauma strike? Yes, says Tedeschi, noting that psychologists can "allow people to understand that this may be a possibility for themselves" and is a "fairly normal process" if and when trauma occurs.

More often, though, therapists will become involved not before adversity has occurred, but afterward. In this context, they can introduce PTG concepts but need to take care doing so.

H'Sien Hayward, PhD, cautions that therapists should not "jump right into the possibility of growth," which she says can "often be construed as minimizing someone's pain and suffering and minimizing the impact of the loss."

Hayward, who works with veterans at VA Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, California, knows about such growth firsthand: She was paralyzed in a car accident when she was 16, ending a competitive athletic career. She overcame that trauma through the help of supportive family and friends, went on to study social psychology at Harvard and has traveled to more than 42 countries, often on humanitarian missions providing counseling and other support to trauma victims. Today, she credits the accident for increasing her strength of character "exponentially" by forcing her to overcome challenges. She also appreciates life and relationships with others-including the near-daily support in the small tasks of daily living that she gets from friends and strangers alike: "those interactions warm my heart."

Yet Hayward is careful not to preach the potential for upside to her patients before they are ready. Instead, she waits for them to express "some positive reaction to the event."

She also helps patients discover what's meaningful in their lives and then helps them schedule activities involving these interests, such as spending more time with family members or doing volunteer work.

Tedeschi says sometimes traditional therapy for trauma patients gives people short-fix solutions to help them resume daily functions, such as sleep or work, but may not provide them with a way of living "beyond just getting by .... We've got to attend to their experience of life and how meaningful, satisfied and fulfilling it is."

One veterans' care facility that takes a nontraditional, PTG approach to trauma treatment is Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont, Virginia. The private, donor-supported institute provides free, weeklong nonclinical exercises and activities for vets seeking recovery from combat stress. The treatment is led primarily by veterans who have themselves gone through trauma and achieved growth. Vets are encouraged to deal with past traumas while also discovering their underlying strengths, as well as forging connections with others and ultimately finding ways to give back.

After the intensive program, vets are followed for 18 months with regular Skype check-ins.

Kevin Sakaki, a former Marine and intelligence/special operations veteran, entered Boulder Crest's Warrior program last September and found it transformative. He's noticed such changes in himself as better communication with his family, less anger ("Things don't get to me as much"), a deeper appreciation of "the little things," more generosity and a stronger connection to other people.

Tedeschi is among the psychologists studying the Boulder Crest program's efficacy as part of a research grant funded by the Marcus Foundation.

He hopes that as vets go through the process at Boulder Crest, they "develop new principles for living that involve altruistic behavior, having a mission in life and purpose that goes beyond oneself, so that trauma is transformed into something that's useful not only for oneself but for others."

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Post-traumatic growth helps people find a new sense of personal strength and a new focus on helping others.

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Stages of Faith, Getting Stuck, Moving Forward

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Stages of Faith, Getting Stuck, Moving Forward

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A road map, proposed by Janet Hagberg & Robert Guelich, to navigate some tough and confusing experiences in the faith journey

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Stages of Faith_Getting Stuck_Moving Forward

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Herewith is an interesting article on debunking the myth around 2 Chinese characters which represent "crisis" .

From a linguistic standpoint, Dr. Victor Mair is absolutely correct in pointing out the "misused" of the second character (pronounced as ji)  as opportunities (see page 2 in the article). However,  Dr. Victor Mair also points out on page 3 that the second character (ji) "is neutral. The Chinese character "ji can either turn out for better or for worse." Furthermore, he also points out on page 4 that ji cannot exist by itself in a Chinese sentence. By combing with other Chinese character "ji" "can acquire hundreds of secondary meaning" (page 3); for examples, airplane, opportunity, danger, crisis, and so forth (page 4).

I think Dr. Victor Mair's article is also indirectly pointing out the importance to be aware of the possibilities in many aspects in life even as foreign as Chinese language. The is a good illustration of Southwick and Charney's proposition on power of "imaging possibilities" under the heading "Applying Cognitive Flexibility in Your Own Life" (Southwick and Charney: 242)

It was noted in other article in Wikipedia that John F. Kennedy, Condoleezza Rice, and Al Gore "misused" the Chinese characters crisis to redirect people's attention to the opportunities behind the crisis confronting America and the world at that time. It has become a staple meme in American business consultants and motivational speakers.

So next time, if you want to quote the Chinese characters "crisis", it would be wiser to indicate that by itself the second character is neutral. However, there are many Chinese character combo to make the second character meaningful. One of them is "hui". Therefore, the resilience people (not just limit to the resilient Chinese people or the American politicians) always look for the element (possibilities) to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

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Peterson highlights changing external factors with many parallels from class.

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Jordan Peterson - Advice For People With Depression

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Grit: the power of passion and perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth

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The Resilient Mindset ModelTM

The Resilient Mindset Model TM serves as a framework for understanding the brain in order to help people make mindfully resilient choices.  Mindfulness is the focusing of attention and awareness.  The idea behind the model is that by becoming consciously aware of what is happening in the brain, we are empowered to make more mindful, intentional choices.

This short clip is a bit of a marketing pitch, but has some interesting images, includes the grasshopper, ant, glow worm and dragonfly in our brain.

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A Resilience Model which builds on the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma Informed Care) models

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A Resilience Model which builds on the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma Informed Care) models

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This paper touches on the intended consequences of two models used in social work to address early childhood trauma and makes recommendations to address those consequences in the two primary models (ACE and TIC.)A resilience approach to Trauma Informed Care (TIC) is included.

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Action steps using ACEs and trauma-informed care: a resilience model - Health & Justice

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This paper 1) discusses two important contributions that are shaping work with vulnerable and under-resourced populations: Kaiser Permanente’s (1998) Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE) which includes the impact of adverse experiences in childhood on adult health and health behaviors and the m…

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8 Resiliency Assessment Tools in one place!

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8 Resiliency Assessment Tools in one place!

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"Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems."
- Gever Tulley

When we experience disaster, trauma, or distressing psychological issues, we usually react with grief and a range of negative emotions.

This is, of course, a natural reaction to having our hopes dashed or our goals thwarted. However, such experiences are not only an inevitable part of life but virtually required for growth and development.

These are the exact sort of experiences that build resilience. With resilience, you can work through the effects of stress and negative emotions and not only bounce back, but actually thrive.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2015) defines individual resilience as the ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from adversity and stress. In other words, resilience can manifest as maintaining or returning to one's original state of mental health or well-being or reaching a more mature and well-developed state of mental health or well-being through the use of effective coping strategies.

In order to grasp and effectively develop resilience, it is critical to understand the factors contributing to resilience.

Components of Resilience

Resilience is defined differently depending on who you ask; psychological researchers may have one working definition (or many!), while those who work directly with people who are struggling often see it differently.

There is no single accepted set of components of resilience, but this set of characteristics and contributing factors can provide a useful guide:

Optimism - those who are optimistic tend to be more resilient as well since they are more likely to stay positive about the future even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Altruism - the most resilient among us often turn to help others when they need to relieve stress and boost their self-efficacy.

Moral Compass - people with a strong moral compass or steadfast set of beliefs about right and wrong generally have an easier time bouncing back.

Faith and Spirituality - while not a required factor for resilience, people often find their faith helpful in surviving challenges and coming through stronger and wiser on the other side.

Humor - people who have a healthy sense of humor and are able to laugh at their own misfortune are at an advantage when it comes to bouncing back, for obvious reasons!

Having a Role Model - this is also not a requirement for resilience, but those who have a role model in mind can draw strength from their desire to emulate this person.

Social Supports - unsurprisingly, social support is important when it comes to resilience; those with strong social support networks are better equipped to bounce back from loss or disappointment.

Facing Fear - this is not so much a characteristic as an action or tendency to act, but people who are willing to leave their comfort zone and confront their fears are more likely to overcome their challenges and grow as a person.

Meaning or Purpose in Life - it shouldn't be surprising that those who feel they have a specific purpose in life or find a tremendous amount of meaning in their lives are more likely to recover from failure or disappointment; when you fervently believe you have a purpose, you are less likely to give up when faced with tragedy or loss.

Training - while a portion of individual resilience may be somewhat permanent and unchangeable, there is an opportunity for improvement; it is possible to improve your resilience through training (Staroverky, 2012).

These components are not present in each and every measure of resilience, but they form a good basis for understanding the nature and scope of resilience. It should be easy to spot most of them in at least one of the eight resilience scales described below.

Seeing the many individual cogs that make up the resilience machine, it is easy to imagine that there are many different ways to define and measure resilience. Indeed, there are virtually countless ways that resilience has been described, and many different methods of measuring it.

The resilience scales below are all useful tools in providing a measure of resilience, but you will see that they are built on different theories, based on different components, and/or created for different populations. Depending on the context in which it will be applied, one resilience scale may be more appropriate than others.

8 Resilience Scales

With the importance of context and intended use in mind, we attempted to provide a diverse sample of resilience scales in the hopes that at least one of them may meet your needs. While there are dozens of resilience measures out there for you to explore, we narrowed them down to the eight most popular and most empirically based resilience scales. These scales are listed and described below.

1) Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC)

A study conducted by Windle, Bennett, & Noyes (2011) reviewed nineteen resilience measures. However, out of nineteen, only three of them received superior psychometric ratings, one of which is the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC).

This scale was originally developed by Connor-Davidson (2003) as a self-report measure of resilience within the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) clinical community (CD-RISC, n.d.). It is a validated and widely recognized scale with 2, 10, and 25 items which measure resilience as a function of five interrelated components:

1. Personal Competence

2. Acceptance of Change and Secure Relationships

3. Trust/Tolerance/Strengthening Effects of Stress

4. Control

5. Spiritual Influences

With an extensive number of studies using this tool, conducted within a varied range of populations, the CD-RISC is considered one of the higher scoring scales in the psychometric evaluation of resilience (Windle, Bennett, & Noyes, 2011).

2) Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA)

The RSA, another resilience scale rated highly by Windle, Bennett, & Noyes (2011), was authored by Friborg et al. (2003) as a self-report scale targeting adults. It is recommended for use in the health and clinical psychology population.

This scale has five scoring items which examine both the intrapersonal and interpersonal protective factors that promote adaptation to adversity.

The authors, Friborg et al. (2003), noted the key factors which contribute to highly resilient individuals, namely family support and cohesion, external support systems, and dispositional attitudes and behaviors, which the scale items are founded on. They are:

Personal Competence

Social Competence

Social Support

Family Coherence

Personal Structure

A later study performed by Friborg et al. (2005) used the RSA to measure the relationship between personality, intelligence, and resilience. They found many links between personality and resilience factors, such as the connection between higher personal competence and elevated emotional stability. There were, however, no significant findings related to cognitive ability (Friborg et al., 2005).

This is in line with Windle et al. (2011), who concluded that the RSA is highly useful for assessing the protective factors which inhibit or provide a buffer against psychological disorders.

3) Brief Resilience Scale

While most resilience assessments look into the factors which develop resilience, The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) is a self-rating questionnaire aimed at measuring an individuals' ability to "bounce back from stress". This instrument, developed by Smith et al. (2008), has not been used in the clinical population; however, it could provide some key insights for individuals with health-related stress (Smith, et al., 2008).

Amat et al. (2014) explain that the BRS instrument consists of six items, three positively worded items, and three negatively worded items. All six relate to the individual's ability to bounce back from adversity. The scale's development controlled for protective factors such as social support in order to get a reliable resilience measure (Smith, et al., 2008).

This is the third and final resilience measure noted by Windle et al. (2011) as a highly valid and reliable measure of resilience, but there are many more with evidence to back their effectiveness.

4) Resilience Scale

This scale is the oldest scale on our list but is still in use by many researchers. The Resilience Scale, developed by Wagnild and Young in 1993, was created and validated with a sample of older adults (aged 53 to 95 years). This scale consists of 25 items and the results have been found to positively correlate with physical health, morale, and life satisfaction, while negatively correlating with depression.

The scale is intended to measure resilience based on five essential characteristics:

1. Meaningful Life (or Purpose)

2. Perseverance

3. Self-Reliance

4. Equanimity

5. Existential Aloneness

These five characteristics are assessed using two subscales, the 17-item Personal Competence subscale and the 8-item Acceptance of Self and Life subscale.

Subsequent validation of the scale in 2009 by Wagnild reaffirmed its internal consistency and construct validity, supporting its continued effectiveness as a tool for the assessment of resilience.

In addition to the original 25-item scale, there is a shortened 14-item scale that has also proven to be valid and reliable in measuring resilience (Abiola & Udofia, 2011).

5) Scale of Protective Factors (SPF)

The Scale of Protective Factors (SPF) was developed by Ponce-Garcia, Madwell, and Kennison in 2015 to capture a comprehensive measurement of resilience. The authors tested and validated this resilience scale in a sample of nearly 1,000 college students, and found the SPF to be a valid and reliable measure of resilience for measuring resilience, especially in groups identified as survivors of violent trauma.

This scale measures resilience in a slightly different way than the previously mentioned scales. It focuses on the factors that combine to create a buffer between individuals who have experienced trauma and the stress and disruption to functioning that can follow, rather the components that constitute resilience directly.

It consists of 24 items measuring two social-interpersonal factors ( and ) and two cognitive-individual factors ( and ).

The SPF has since been validated in a review of resilience scales by Madewell and Ponce-Garcia (2016), providing evidence of its validity and effectiveness in clinical use.

6) Predictive 6-Factor Resilience Scale

The Predictive 6-Factor Resilience Scale was developed based on the neurobiological underpinnings of resilience and the theorized relationship with health hygiene factors (Roussouw & Roussouw, 2016).

The PR6 measures resilience as a function of six domains concerning several interrelated concepts:

Vision: self-efficacy and goal-setting

Composure: emotional regulation and the ability to identify, understand, and act on internal prompts and physical signals

Tenacity: perseverance and hardiness

Reasoning: higher cognitive traits, like problem-solving, resourcefulness, and thriving

Collaboration: psychosocial interaction, such as secure attachment, support networks, context, and humor

Health: physiological health

The PR6 was found to have good internal consistency and correlate with other measures of resilience as well as health hygiene scores.

Based on these results, the PR6 can be considered an effective measurement and a particularly good assessment for use in improving resilience.

7) Ego Resilience Scale

This scale was developed by Block and Kremen in 1996 for use in measuring resilience in non-psychiatric contexts. While the authors term their construct "ego resiliency," it is basically resilience as we know it viewed in terms of adaptability to changes in one's circumstances.

The Resilience Scale (RS-14) consists of 14 items rated on a scale from 1 = does not apply to 4 = applies very strongly, with higher scores indicating higher levels of resilience.

Scores on this scale have been found to positively correlate with intelligence as it relates to the ability to adapt, supporting the scale's ability to assess an individual's ability to bounce back from failure and disappointment.

8) Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30)

Finally, the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30) is a recently developed measure used to assess resilience in a particular context: academic success. Simon Cassidy (2016) describes academic resilience as the tendency to persevere and succeed in education despite meeting with adversity. It is a multi-dimensional construct focusing on both cognitive affective and behavioral responses to academic adversity.

The ARS-30 is based on responses to a vignette describing a significant academic challenge, rated on a scale from 1 = likely to 5 = unlikely.

The items in this scale fall into one of three factors:

1) Perseverance
2) Reflecting and Adaptive Help-Seeking
3) Negative Affect and Emotional Response

High scores on factors 1 and 2 and low scores on factor 3 indicate high resilience.

This scale was found to be highly internally reliable, and scores correlated significantly with a measure of academic self-efficacy. While the ARS-30 is most appropriate in academic contexts, scores can be useful in other situations as well.

Resilience at Work (and Why It Matters)

"As a leader, apologize for making mistakes. Don't apologize for making decisions."

Resilience is an important characteristic in the context of work. Nobody is a consistently perfect employee, and everybody will at some point receive critical feedback or experience a failure at work. This fact of life highlights the role of resilience in the workplace, as a means for employees to recognize where they have failed or come up short, identify the most constructive ways to move forward, and bounce back with vigor and enthusiasm to get it right the next time.

In addition to the stereotypical experiences that require resilience to survive, resilience is integral in other, less obvious situations as well - we often need to be resilient even in the face of positive changes! Increased responsibility, forward progress, and significant positive events can all result in the need for adaptation and recovery (Youssef & Luthans, 2007).

However, it is usually the responses to negative change that highlight the need for resilience.

In the workplace, a lack of resilience can manifest itself in many ways - the fear of presenting in front of an audience, the frustration after receiving criticism for one's work, the guilt about not spending enough time with one's family, the embarrassment one feels after a meeting that didn't go well.

In the book , Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté (2002) identify the five typical emotions that are associated with a lack of resilience, namely;

Of course, these emotions are completely natural to experience from time to time. The key to recognizing these emotions as indicators of a lack of resilience is whether they are disproportionate to the event (looking back you might catch yourself thinking "that was over the top!"), or if the same event triggers the same emotion repeatedly.

For those who identify with this description, an increase in resilience would be hugely beneficial.

In the workplace, a lack of resilience can become an issue when it prevents you from developing your skills and interacting effectively with others. For example, a fear of public speaking may lead you to remain silent even when you know you have something to contribute to a discussion. Another example is if you become defensive when receiving negative feedback, losing the opportunity to learn and develop your skills.

In short, a lack of resilience can have an immediate impact on motivation, cognitive functioning, and emotional well-being. In cases of a serious lack of resilience, it leads to helplessness and seeing oneself as a victim of circumstance.

Conversely, we all know people who immediately pick themselves up and dust themselves off after a setback, regardless of what stressors and tragedies life throws at them. In general, resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity, and resilient people practice resilience by assessing and exploring all of their options before taking action. These tendencies make it unlikely that they repeat unhelpful past experiences.

For us to flourish and thrive at work (and at home, for that matter) we need to ensure we recognize those emotions as they arise, assess whether they are appropriate, take responsibility for our lack of resilience, if that is the case, and apply the tools to reframe our experiences.

11 Reasons Why Organizations Should Pay Attention to Resilience

For organizations, it is extremely important to understand the indicators of a lack of resilience and teach leaders and employees how to respond to difficult situations in order to increase their resilience.

Four of the most important reasons why organizations should understand the contributors of resilience and start introducing programs which build resilience are:

General Employee Well-being

While organizations can work to address workload issues in parallel, resilience skills directly benefit employees' psychological well-being by helping them reframe their perception of stress. Healthy and happy employees are productive employees, making employee well-being an important consideration for every organization.

Career Development

Employees looking to grow and develop their skills will benefit from learning to cope with adverse work situations, such as negative feedback. Managers who understand the dynamics of resilience can coach their employees much more effectively. Research has shown that people (and women in particular) who tend to attribute their failures to personal shortcomings are at risk of diminishing self-confidence, a problem which can be addressed through the development of resilience skills.

Innovation & The Learning Curve

Most companies need to innovate on an ongoing basis to survive in this business climate. This means that employees need to work constantly on maintaining and upgrading their capabilities. This can be hampered by the so-called learning curve - essentially the experience of a dip in skill and motivation as individuals learn to apply a new skill. This can be frustrating and possibly lead to stagnation if the new skills are not applied successfully. Managers who recognize that their employees are displaying signs of "non-resilience" during this learning curve (rather than interpreting the same behavior as non-cooperation, for example) can jump right in and begin providing the appropriate support, thus ensuring effective learning and laying the groundwork for successful innovation.

Teamwork

A lack of resilience often becomes apparent in our interpersonal situations. By understanding typical behaviors linked to a lack of resilience, leaders can encourage employees to examine their thinking patterns and change their interpretation of the situation, thereby reducing negative feelings between team members and improving team dynamics.

In short, resilient employees are simply better employees, on average. They meet their challenges in different ways, develop and maintain better buffers against stress and anxiety, and more effectively recover from the setbacks that everyone experiences from time to time.

Paula Davis-Laack (2014), a positive psychologist who has applied her knowledge and skills to the practice enhancing resilience in thousands of working professionals, lays out the seven ways that resilient employees do things differently, benefitting both themselves and their organization.

Highly resilient employees:

Develop high-quality connections

Manage stress effectively and avoid burnout

Act authentically and in accordance with their strengths and values

Develop grit (the passion and perseverance to pursue long-term goals)

Stay inspired and find meaning

Stay flexible and mentally tough

Actively manage change and setbacks

Any leader would agree that these seven capabilities are extremely desirable in employees. These are the employees that produce high-quality work, innovate, and spread their inspiration and motivation to their colleagues.

Luckily for leaders everywhere, resilience is a characteristic that can be built, developed, and enhanced in any workforce (Youssef & Luthans, 2007).

Building Resilience at Work and Beyond

To quote renowned positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2002, p.200):

"The ability to take misfortune and make something good come of it is a rare gift. Those who possess it (...) are said to have resilience or courage."

While some people certainly seem to be born with the resilience gene, some of the necessary skills of resilience can also be learned when practiced over time.

There are a number of useful models and tools that offer frames for understanding and building resilience. The following three models address the topic of resilience from various angles and can provide useful insights.

1. The ABCDE model

Briefly described by Seligman (2011) and addressed in detail in Reivich and Shatté (2002), this model explains how the five key negative emotions mentioned earlier in this article are linked to specific experiences. Feeling angry is usually linked to the perceived violation of one's rights. Feeling embarrassed is usually the result of an unfavorable social comparison. Sadness and depression are often linked to the loss of self-worth.

These 5 specific steps introduced in this ABCDE model offer the keys to building resilience:

1. Adversity (recognizing any unfavorable thought patterns)

2. Beliefs (finding the true reason behind the emotions)

3. Consequences (recognizing the negative impact of these emotions)

4. Disputation (learning to challenge them)

5. Energization (begin choosing new and more effective courses of action)

2. The 7 Pillars of Resilience

This model by German psychotherapist Micheline Rampe (2010) is useful for understanding the key steps that need to be taken by an individual on their journey to resilience. Many of the strategies described by Rampe (2010) are compatible with approaches recommended in positive psychology literature.

These 7 pillars are:

1. Developing optimism (leading to positive expectations enabling a person to take positive action)

2. Acceptance of the situation

3. Focusing on potential solutions

4. Taking responsibility for one's own life

5. Escaping from the role as a victim of circumstance

6. Building a support network

7. Planning a flexible strategy for dealing with future challenges

These pillars offer key steps that give an individual the tools for dealing with adversity in a positive and constructive way.

It should be noted that in the absence of real, objective reasons that things are going to be better, hope and optimism can be counter-productive. Without subsequent improvement in circumstances, there is a good chance that unrealistic hope and optimism will lead to disappointment.

If nothing changes about your situation or your course of action, how can you expect things to be different in the future? This is called "big optimism" and or false hope, and it should not be encouraged in those who are not naturally highly optimistic.

3. The Three Musketeers of Resilience

The book Restore Yourself by Edy Greenblatt (2009) presents strategies for combating professional exhaustion and burnout by focusing on regular restoration of personal resources.

The "three musketeers" described by Greenblatt are;

Gaining an understanding of what restores or depletes a person's energy (what may be perceived as stress by one person may be seen as relaxing for another, such as violent video games)

Questioning social tags such as "work" or "vacation" to identify their true restoration and depletion triggers (essentially getting more specific about situations that give or deplete energy both at work and in our private life)

Becoming aware that, over time, a person's sources of depletion and restoration will change and adapt accordingly

These models can be employed by individuals hoping to develop their own resilience as well as by organizations interested in building a resilient workforce. While true resilience requires one to take responsibility for their own life, there are ways to encourage the development of resilience in employees.

For example, George Everly, Jr. (2011) describes how organizations can build a resilient organizational culture in an article from the Harvard Business Review.

The framework Everly, Jr. outlines is a simple one:

People prosper from success - creating an environment in which employees have the tools to succeed will help build resilient employees.

People learn while observing others - encourage formal and informal professional groups within the organization and place new employees in successful working groups to encourage them to model that success.

Encouragement, support, and mentoring are vital - interpersonal support is one of the strongest predictors of success and resilience.

Managing stress is key - providing employees with basic training in managing their stress can pay huge dividends in increased productivity and enhanced quality, not to mention fewer absences and healthier employees.

Consistent with this framework, Everly, Jr. notes two impactful things organizations have done to infuse their workforce with resilience, including:

1) Investing in their leaders by providing training in resilience and resilient leadership skills
2) Investing in all levels of the workforce by promoting employee health and wellness, in the form of employee wellness programs, workshops on physical fitness and nutrition, and stress management training for employees and their families

Forbes contributor Alan Kohll (2017) echoes these lessons in building a resilient workforce, noting that the development of resilience can be enhanced by organizations through:

Leading by example and building resilience at the executive level and in the management team

Fostering a sense of purpose and helping employees find meaning in their work

Promoting a sense of control and self-confidence in employees

Managing change effectively and responsibly to ensure that change is seen as an opportunity rather than a roadblock

Encouraging employee connections, whether formal or informal, through mentorship and company-recognized employee interest groups

Addressing stress levels, both in the organization as a whole and in individual employees

Nurturing a healthy sense of humor in the workplace (the appropriate level will depend on the organization and the industry)

Fostering grit and mental toughness in employees

Providing as many opportunities as possible for learning and professional development

Staying optimistic and using positive messaging

Encouraging flexibility and adaptability in employees, workgroups, and the organization as a whole

Building problem-solving skills at all levels of the company

Promoting good habits for physical and mental health

Of course, there are also ways in which individuals can work on building their resilience in both their personal lives and the workplace as well. Rich Fernandez, veteran director of learning and organizational development at companies like Google, eBay, and J. P. Morgan Chase, provides five suggestions for enhancing your resilience at work (2016):

1. Exercise mindfulness to manage and minimize stress

2. Compartmentalize your work to enhance your productivity and decrease cognitive strain

3. Take "detachment breaks" to work with your natural mental focus, clarity, and energy cycles

4. Develop mental agility to respond thoughtfully and constructively to stress

5. Cultivate compassion for yourself and for others to enhance your well-being and decrease stress

Want to Learn More About Resilience?

Download the 'Road to Resilience' PDF by the Discovery Health Channel and American Psychological Association or watch Sam Goldstein's excellent TED Talk on the Power of Resilience.

A Take Home Message

Resilience is the incredibly useful ability to adapt and cope with adversities and stresses, and fortunately for us, it can be built and developed over time. The eight resilience scales presented here can be utilized to get a general idea of how resilient you (or your employees) are, and hopefully, the tips on building resilience can help you go from there.

It is important to note that most resilience measures have been developed, researched and put to use in the West and when the resilience scales are applied to non-Western populations, validity and reliability issues may arise. It is the duty of each researcher to consider the internal consistency and validity of their selected resilience scale in the context of their population (Amat et al. 2014).

If more organizations devote their attention to the resilience in their workforce and focus on building resilience at every level, they will be better able to prevent and combat stress and burnout and build a thriving organization full of capable, productive, and flourishing individuals.

I wish you the best of luck as you use this information to measure, share, and build resilience in your communities.

Thank you for reading, and please reach out to us in the comments if you have any thoughts about the resilience scales mentioned or measuring resilience in general. We'd love to hear from you!

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How To Measure Resilience With These 8 Resilience Scales (+PDF)

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"Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems." - Gever Tulley When we experience disaster, trauma, or distressing psychological issues, we usually react with grief and a range of negative emotions. This is, of course, a natural reaction to having our hopes dashed or our goals thwarted.

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DW Winnicott coined this phrase to describe the way stress and disappointment are instinctually introduced to a child's development by their mother who 'fails' them in strategic and manageable ways.  Even from a our very earliest stages, adversity and challenge are necessary for our growth and development.
Even more interesting is to explore this idea in terms of how God 'parents' us.

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The phrase "the good enough mother" was coined by the British pediatrician and psychoanalyst D. W. Winnicott in his famous book Playing and Reality.

In discussing the mother (or other caretaker's) adaptation to the needs of the baby, Winnicott thought that the "good enough mother" starts out with an almost complete adaptation to her baby's needs. She is entirely devoted to the baby and quickly sees to his every need. She sacrifices her own sleep and her own needs to fulfill the needs of her infant.

As time goes by, however, the mother allows the infant to experience small amounts of frustration. She is empathetic and caring but does not immediately rush to the baby's every cry. Of course, at first the time-limit to this frustration must be very short. She may allow the baby to cry for a few minutes before her nighttime feeding, but only for a few minutes. She is not "perfect" but she is "good enough" in that the child only feels a slight amount of frustration.
From Illusion to Reality
The fascinating thing about Winnicott's notion of the good enough mother is that he connects the mothering process to the child's cognitive development and the development of a healthy concept of external reality. At first, the baby experiences the mother as part of himself. The baby is in love with his mother and experiences her not as a separate person, but as a part of himself. As time goes by, the moments apart from the mother's total emphatic attuning to her baby's needs spark the beginnings of the baby's mental activity and sense of an external world.

If the mother's complete adaptation to the baby's need goes on too long, and does not decrease naturally, the baby's growing sense of a real external world apart from himself is interrupted. He lingers in the magical world of illusion and hallucination. That is, he believes that simply having a need will lead to its immediate fulfillment. This, says Winnicott, is an illusion although a necessary illusion.

Although Winnicott insists that if the baby does not feel small amounts of frustration, he will not form a concept of external reality, he emphasizes that the earlier phase of mothering is equally essential for the baby's healthy development. The ability to have an illusion is a necessary prerequisite to developing a sense of reality:

"At the start, [the mother's] adaptation needs to be almost exact, and unless this is so it is not possible for the infant to begin to develop a capacity to experience a relationship to external reality, or even to form a conception of external reality."
A Balancing Act
So being a "good enough mother" is fairly complex. It involves a balancing act between two equally important processes for a child's healthy cognitive development and even his future happiness: 1) At first, the mother or caretaker must devotedly attend to the infant's every need; 2) The mother must gradually allow the baby to experience a need apart from its immediate fulfillment--although naturally this time period must be very short at first and increase with time.

In sum, with good enough mothering, a child has the ability to live in two worlds: the world of illusion, fantasy, and magic, on the one hand, and on the other hand, a world that does not always conform to his wishes.
Copyright © Marilyn Wedge, Ph.D.

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The phrase "the good enough mother" was coined by the British pediatrician and psychoanalyst D. W. Winnicott in his famous book Playing and Reality. In discussing the mother (or other caretaker's) adaptation to the needs of the baby, Winnicott thought that the "good enough mother" starts out with an almost complete adaptation to her baby's needs.

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A lot of the same themes we have explored already in class, but with some newer twists or ideas. For example: creative writing as a way to train yourself to reassess or reframe the situation.

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A mentor of mine recently passed away, and I was heartbroken-so I tried my best to avoid thinking about it. I didn't even mention it to my family because I didn't want those sad feelings to resurface.

In other words, I took the very enlightened approach of pretend it didn't happen-one that's about as effective as other common responses such as get angry, push people away, blame yourself, or wallow in the pain.

Even for the relatively self-aware and emotionally adept, struggles can take us by surprise. But learning healthy ways to move through adversity-a collection of skills that researchers call resilience-can help us cope better and recover more quickly, or at least start heading in that direction.

The Greater Good Science Center has collected many resilience practices on our website Greater Good in Action, alongside other research-based exercises for fostering kindness, connection, and happiness. Here are 12 of those resilience practices (squeezed into five categories), which can help you confront emotional pain more skillfully.

1. Change the narrative

When something bad happens, we often relive the event over and over in our heads, rehashing the pain. This process is called rumination; it's like a cognitive spinning of the wheels, and it doesn't move us forward toward healing and growth.

The practice of Expressive Writing can move us forward by helping us gain new insights on the challenges in our lives. It involves free writing continuously for 20 minutes about an issue, exploring your deepest thoughts and feelings around it. The goal is to get something down on paper, not to create a memoir-like masterpiece.

A 1988 study found that participants who did Expressive Writing for four days were healthier six weeks later and happier up to three months later, when compared to people who wrote about superficial topics. In writing, the researchers suggest, we're forced to confront ideas one by one and give them structure, which may lead to new perspectives. We're actually crafting our own life narrative and gaining a sense of control.

Once we've explored the dark side of an experience, we might choose to contemplate some of its upsides. Finding Silver Linings invites you to call to mind an upsetting experience and try to list three positive things about it. For example, you might reflect on how fighting with a friend brought some important issues out into the open, and allowed you to learn something about their point of view.

In a 2014 study, doing this practice daily for three weeks helped participants become more engaged with life afterward, and it decreased their pessimistic beliefs over time. This wasn't true for a group whose members just wrote about their daily activities. It was particularly beneficial for staunch pessimists, who also became less depressed. But the effects wore off after two months, suggesting that looking on the bright side is something we have to practice regularly.

2. Face your fears

The practices above are helpful for past struggles, ones that we've gained enough distance from to be able to get some perspective. But what about knee-shaking fears that we're experiencing in the here and now?

The Overcoming a Fear practice is designed to help with everyday fears that get in the way of life, such as the fear of public speaking, heights, or flying. We can't talk ourselves out of such fears; instead, we have to tackle the emotions directly.

The first step is to slowly, and repeatedly, expose yourself to the thing that scares you-in small doses. For example, people with a fear of public speaking might try talking more in meetings, then perhaps giving a toast at a small wedding. Over time, you can incrementally increase the challenge until you're ready to nail that big speech or TV interview.

In a 2010 study, researchers modeled this process in the lab. They gave participants a little electrical shock every time they saw a blue square, which soon became as scary as a tarantula to an arachnophobe. But then, they showed the blue square to participants without shocking them. Over time, the participants' Pavlovian fear (measured by the sweat on their skin) gradually evaporated.

In effect, this kind of "exposure therapy" helps us change the associations we have with a particular stimulus. If we've flown 100 times and the plane has never crashed, for example, our brain (and body) start to learn that it's safe. Though the fear may never be fully extinguished, we'll likely have greater courage to confront it.

3. Practice self-compassion

I've never been a good flyer myself, and it was comforting when an acquaintance shared an article he wrote about having the same problem (and his favorite tips). Fears and adversity can make us feel alone; we wonder why we're the only ones feeling this way, and what exactly is wrong with us. In these situations, learning to practice self-compassion-and recognizing that everyone suffers-can be a much gentler and more effective road to healing.

Self-compassion involves offering compassion to ourselves: confronting our own suffering with an attitude of warmth and kindness, without judgment. In one study, participants in an eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion program reported more mindfulness and life satisfaction, with lower depression, anxiety, and stress afterward compared to people who didn't participate-and the benefits lasted up to a year.

One practice, the Self-Compassion Break, is something you can do any time you start to feel overwhelmed by pain or stress. It has three steps, which correspond to the three aspects of self-compassion:

Be mindful: Without judgment or analysis, notice what you're feeling. Say, "This is a moment of suffering" or "This hurts" or "This is stress."

Remember that you're not alone: Everyone experiences these deep and painful human emotions, although the causes might be different. Say to yourself, "Suffering is a part of life" or "We all feel this way" or "We all struggle in our lives."

Be kind to yourself: Put your hands on your heart and say something like "May I give myself compassion" or "May I accept myself as I am" or "May I be patient."

If being kind to yourself is a challenge, an exercise called How Would You Treat a Friend? could help. Here, you compare how you respond to your own struggles-and the tone you use-with how you respond to a friend's. Often, this comparison unearths some surprising differences and valuable reflections: Why am I so harsh on myself, and what would happen if I weren't?

Once we start to develop a kinder attitude toward ourselves, we can crystallize that gentle voice in a Self-Compassionate Letter. This practice asks you to spend 15 minutes writing words of understanding, acceptance, and compassion toward yourself about a specific struggle that you feel ashamed of-say, being shy or not spending enough time with your kids. In the letter, you might remind yourself that everyone struggles, and that you aren't solely responsible for this shortcoming; if possible, you could also consider constructive ways to improve in the future.

4. Meditate

As mindfulness gurus like to remind us, our most painful thoughts are usually about the past or the future: We regret and ruminate on things that went wrong, or we get anxious about things that will. When we pause and bring our attention to the present, we often find that things are...okay.

Practicing mindfulness brings us more and more into the present, and it offers techniques for dealing with negative emotions when they arise. That way, instead of getting carried away into fear, anger, or despair, we can work through them more deliberately.

One of the most commonly studied mindfulness programs is the eight-week-long Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which teaches participants to cope with challenges using a variety of meditation practices (including the ones detailed below). Various studies have found that MBSR has wide-ranging health and psychological benefits for people in general, as well as those struggling with mental illness or chronic disease.

One meditation that might be particularly effective at calming our negative thoughts is the Body Scan. Here, you focus on each body part in turn-head to toe-and can choose to let go of any areas of tension you discover. Strong feelings tend to manifest physically, as tight chests or knotted stomachs, and relaxing the body is one way to begin dislodging them.

In one study, researchers found that time spent practicing the Body Scan was linked to greater well-being and less reactivity to stress. Being more aware of our bodies-and the emotions they are feeling-might also help us make healthier choices, trusting our gut when something feels wrong or avoiding commitments that will lead to exhaustion.

When stress creeps in, good habits often creep out-and one of those is healthy eating. When we're emotional, many of us reach for the sweets; when we're short on time, fast food seems like the only option. So in addition to helping us cultivate mindfulness, the Raisin Meditation could help change our relationship to food.

This exercise invites you to eat a raisin mindfully-but wait, not so fast. First, examine its wrinkles and color; see how it feels between your fingers, and then take a sniff. Slowly place it on your tongue, and roll it around in your mouth before chewing one bite at a time. Notice the urge to swallow, and whether you can sense it moving down your throat into your stomach. Not only will you have practiced mindfulness, but you may never look at food the same way again.

One final meditation that we can sprinkle throughout our day-or practice on its own-is Mindful Breathing. It involves bringing attention to the physical sensations of the breath: the air moving through the nostrils, the expansion of the chest, the rise and fall of the stomach. If the mind wanders away, you bring attention back. This can be done during a full 15-minute meditation, or during a moment of stress with just a few breaths.

In one study, participants who did a Mindful Breathing exercise before looking at disturbing images-like spiders or car crashes-experienced less negative emotion than people who hadn't done the exercise. Negative thoughts can pull us along into their frantic stream, but the breath is an anchor we can hold onto at any time.

5. Cultivate forgiveness

If holding a grudge is holding you back, research suggests that cultivating forgiveness could be beneficial to your mental and physical health. If you feel ready to begin, it can be a powerful practice.

Both Nine Steps to Forgiveness and Eight Essentials When Forgiving offer a list of guidelines to follow. In both cases, you begin by clearly acknowledging what happened, including how it feels and how it's affecting your life right now. Then, you make a commitment to forgive, which means letting go of resentment and ill will for your own sake; forgiveness doesn't mean letting the offender off the hook or even reconciling with them. Ultimately, you can try to find a positive opportunity for growth in the experience: Perhaps it alerted you to something you need, which you may have to look for elsewhere, or perhaps you can now understand other people's suffering better.

If you're having trouble forgiving, Letting Go of Anger through Compassion is a five-minute forgiveness exercise that could help you get unstuck. Here, you spend a few minutes generating feelings of compassion toward your offender; she, too, is a human being who makes mistakes; he, too, has room for growth and healing. Be mindfully aware of your thoughts and feelings during this process, and notice any areas of resistance.

Not convinced this is the best approach? Researchers tested it against the common alternatives-either ruminating on negative feelings or repressing them-and found that cultivating compassion led participants to report more empathy, positive emotions, and feelings of control. That's an outcome that victims of wrongdoing deserve, no matter how we feel about the offenders.

Stress and struggles come in many forms in life: adversity and trauma, fear and shame, betrayals of trust. The 12 practices above can help you cope with difficulties when they arise, but also prepare you for challenges in the future. With enough practice, you'll have a toolbox of techniques that come naturally-a rainy-day fund for the mind, that will help keep you afloat when times get tough. Just knowing that you've built up your skills of resilience can be a great comfort, and even a happiness booster.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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Five Science-Backed Strategies to Build Resilience

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A mentor of mine recently passed away, and I was heartbroken-so I tried my best to avoid thinking about it. I didn't even mention it to my family because I didn't want those sad feelings to resurface.

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The Up Side of Down

This talk goes into the neuroscience of resilience. He also talks a bit about the “7 Resilience Muscles Model” by Linda Hoopes and how to work out these muscles so they can be developed when needed.  “We are dynamic and we are complex and we have a choice…  I am a work in progress but I invite you to join me on this wondrous journey as we leverage this down world to tune up our personal resilience.”

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Resilience, The Up Side of Down | David Donaldson | TEDxCollingwood

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Some excellent thoughts here on laughter and stress.  She is a little edgy, but has encouraging observations and advice on how and why to lighten up.  "If each of us had a light heart we could share it with each other, couldn't we? And our energy in this world would change."

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How to Humor Your Stress | Loretta LaRoche | TEDxNewBedford

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Bhakti Sharma - amazing open water swimming 

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Bhakti Sharma - amazing open water swimming 

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"Is this the best that I can do?" - her sense of internal moral compass is what she discovers as she presses on. Interesting to reflect on an alternative cultural view on resilience.

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Bhakti Sharma: What open water swimming taught me about resilience

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Dive into the deep with open water swimmer Bhakti Sharma, as she shares what she learned about resilience during her personal journey from the scorching heat of Rajasthan, India to the bone-chilling waters of her record-breaking swim in Antarctica and her courageous crossing of the English Channel.

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Perhaps somewhat unresolved, but we witness in her efforts many of the traits of the resilient. Her art gives powerful images for resilience.

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The artist trying to improve life for kids in Syria - BBC Newsnight

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Promoting the strengths and resilience of Indigenous community through photo display

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Promoting the strengths and resilience of Indigenous community through photo display

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An interesting use of photos to help form a more hopeful and positive mindset for the youth in an indigenous community and their surrounding communities too.

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Abstract

In the face of negative media attention, community members and Elders from the First Nation community of Maskwacis identified the importance of promoting community strengths and reframing perceptions of their community. Two research questions were addressed: (1) How do youth in Maskwacis view their community strengths? and (2) To what extent can photographs be used as a tool for reframing perceptions of an Indigenous community? A community-based participatory research approach was used for the current photovoice project, through which two Elders and eleven youth were engaged. Indigenous photographers trained youth participants, and Elders mentored youth to capture photographs that represented their community's strengths and resilience. Youth selected forty photos to display at a total of six photo exhibits, where feedback was gathered from 392 attendees using brief questionnaires. The content of their photos was analyzed using thematic analysis. This resulted in four themes that described the strengths of Maskwacis, reflecting the community's strong relationships, commitment to culture, the beautiful natural world that is a part of Maskwacis, and the community's ability to look toward the future. In addition, findings provide foundational support for the use of photographs to reframe perceptions of an Indigenous community. The majority (93%) of survey respondents provided examples of ways that viewing the photos had positively changed their perceptions of Maskwacis. This study prompts consideration of the strengths and resilience of other Indigenous communities facing similar social and health issues. Therefore, findings are highly relevant to paediatric health care providers seeking to provide culturally responsive care.

There are more than 600 First Nations communities and 60 Indigenous languages in Canada ( 1). With an international reputation for multiculturalism and inclusion, there are a myriad venues for celebrating Indigenous cultures throughout Canada. However, Canada has a long history of colonialism and exclusion that continues to impact Indigenous people ( 2). This is manifest in the health, social and economic disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians ( 3, 4). Narratives around these disparities are widespread and contribute to negative perceptions about Indigenous communities ( 5-8). Stereotyping and discrimination can have significant impacts on the health and well-being of Indigenous people, including Indigenous childrens' cultural identity development ( 9, 10). This is important because strong cultural identity can be a protective factor against suicide for Indigenous youth ( 11, 12) and is associated with more favourable developmental outcomes ( 13, 14). Important to fostering strong cultural identity is affirming Indigenous cultures ( 15). However, attitudes and policies regarding Indigenous people have, for the most part, been negatively oriented ( 16). These attitudes extend to the Canadian health care system, where systemic racism has been identified as a significant challenge facing Indigenous people ( 17).

Addressing negative attitudes and stereotypes will require education and awareness-raising to elevate understanding on the part of non-Indigenous people, including health care providers ( 18, 19). It is critical for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to work together on such initiatives, and to involve young people in opportunities to learn about their cultures and represent the strengths of their communities in meaningful ways ( 20).

THE MASKWACIS COMMUNITY

The Maskwacis community is located in Alberta, Canada, and consists of four Plains Cree Nations with a combined population of approximately 15,000. National media attention has focused on crime and gang violence in Maskwacis, largely ignoring the rich and vibrant Cree culture that threads the four Nations together. In Maskwacis, Cree history, culture and language are featured prominently in traditional community ceremonies and cultural events that regularly take place, and the Cree language is taught in Maskwacis schools. Community elders view their culture and language as a means to combat the social and public health problems that Maskwacis community members face due to the destructive impact of colonization, residential schools and forced assimilation.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND PURPOSE

In the face of negative media attention, community members and elders identified the importance of promoting community strengths and reframing perceptions of Maskwacis. Toward this aim, two research questions were addressed: 1) How do youth in Maskwacis view their community strengths? and 2) To what extent can photographs be used as a tool for reframing perceptions of an Indigenous community?

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCESSES

Community-based participatory research

The current study followed a community-based participatory research approach (CBPR) ( 21, 22). CBPR is well suited for research with Indigenous communities, because it yields equitable researcher-participant participation and power relations ( 23-25). Methods for the current study were approved by Human Research Ethics Board 1 at the University of Alberta.

Participants

Two elders and 11 youth (age 15 to 19) were engaged. Maskwacis school staff identified students for project participation. The project coordinator visited students at their schools to discuss the project. Next, the project coordinator and a community partner visited students' homes to garner parental consent for participation. Parents were offered a small gift in appreciation.

Training

Photovoice begins by providing participants with cameras and photography training. For the current project, two experienced Indigenous photographers provided technical training, while two community elders mentored youth to recognize their community's positive assets. Youth also worked with the project coordinator over a series of ten sessions to explore their community and capture photographs.

Photo exhibits

Part of the photovoice process involves communicating messages to policymakers, and a primary method for such communication involves holding photo exhibits (26). Four exhibits were initially held at an Elders Centre in the Maskwacis community, the Wetaskiwin community hospital, the University of Alberta Hospital and the University of Alberta Faculty of Extension campus. Brief feedback questionnaires were distributed at each exhibit. As a result of media coverage and extended public interest, two additional exhibits were held by request at the Maskwacis Cultural College (MCC) and the Red Deer Community Hospital.

Data analysis

Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently for photos and accompanying descriptions. Wang and Burris' (1997) methods for analyzing photovoice data were used. These include 1) selecting photos, where participants choose photos that they deem most representative of their experiences; 2) contextualizing, where participants provide descriptions of their photos; and 3) codifying, where data are sorted into codes, categories and themes. Selecting photos and contextualizing occurred during group sessions with the youth, after which the project coordinator began codifying. Emerging codes and themes were then discussed during subsequent group meetings. Codifying was carried out in alignment with thematic analysis (27). This involved producing initial codes, looking for overarching themes among codes, refining and naming themes and completing final analysis. Thematic analysis was carried out for photos and accompanying descriptions as well as qualitative questionnaire data. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyze numerical questionnaire data.

FINDINGS

Photos and descriptions

Participants captured more than 200 photos and selected 40 as most representative of their experiences. Youth also provided descriptions for the 40 photos. Analysis of the visual content of photos and accompanying verbal descriptions resulted in four themes, depicted in Figure 1.

Culture

Eleven photos fit within the culture theme. According to participants, it is important for people to know that there is thriving traditional culture in Maskwacis. With respect to Figure 2, a participant commented that cultural pride is a strength of the community. Youth also captured images that provide examples of the Cree language in and around Maskwacis ( Figure 3). In addition, participants felt that including Cree language on signs entering and exiting the neighbouring town of Wetaskiwin demonstrated respect. As one participant stated, ' this sign showcases the community's willingness towards reviving our Cree language.' Participants also agreed that tipis represent an important aspect of the Cree culture, and therefore, a strength of the community ( Figure 4). Participants additionally captured images of cultural symbols including beading and berry picking.

Looking to the future

Ten photos were categorized as looking to the future. According to participants, schools in Maskwacis represent a significant strength ( Figure 5). One participant noted that, ' our schools are a way of giving us a future.' Participants also captured photos of youth. As one participant described, ' youth in our community are amazingly talented...We have bright futures if we want them.' In addition, participants captured images that they described as metaphorically representing a future orientation. With regard to Figure 6, a youth participant expressed that, ' growing up here, we have a long road ahead of us, but we always have the choice to take the road to success.' Another youth captured an image of a moon at night and described that, ' in order for there to be light, you also need some darkness. So challenges and hard times can lead to growth.' With regard to Figure 7, ' This picture represents that we can all grow upward and thrive. '

Natural world

Twelve photos aligned with the natural world theme. As participants described in relation to Figure 8, ' some people think that Maskwacis is a scary place at night. These pictures show it can be beautiful here at night.' Participants also captured photos of ponds, reeds and wild plants, expressing that, ' in our community, we have a deep appreciation for Mother Earth.' With regard to Figure 9, a participant explained that, ' we see all creatures and parts of nature as being important, not just humans.' In describing Figure 10, a participant noted that, ' in Maskwacis, there's lots of space for exploring the outdoors. '

Relationships

Six photos aligned with the theme of relationships. In describing images related to this theme, a participant explained that, in Maskwacis, there are opportunities for engaging in games and social activities that build relationships. As one youth described, ' I like how we can participate in traditional activities... if we want to, and doing these activities can help us make friends.' In describing Figure 11, a participant noted that, ' this tree represents a family and community and how we all share the same strong core and deep running roots.' Another stated that, ' this picture is all about love, which we have a lot of in our community.' In response to Figure 12, ' Maskwacis can be a really fun place to be together.' Finally, in describing Figure 13, a youth noted that, ' people who live here visit each other a lot in their homes, and we all share Maskwacis as our home. '

Questionnaires

In total, 392 questionnaires were distributed at photo exhibits. Participants responded to questions related to the photos and the Maskwacis community. Data analysis did not result in significant differences among responses between data collection sites. Accordingly, questionnaire data from all photo exhibit sites are presented together.

Previous ideas about Maskwacis

Survey respondents were asked to indicate previous ideas about the community. Data analysis resulted in three categories for this survey item; namely, 1) troubling social issues, 2) working through challenges and 3) positive perceptions.

Responses aligned with the category of troubling social issues (n=116) generally indicated that participants perceived the Maskwacis community as a place where crime, violence, gangs, drugs, suicide and poverty are prominent. As one respondent from the Wetaskiwin hospital stated, ' The media tends to show...the gang problems and abuse problems on the news... '

Within the category of working through challenges (n=45), respondents reported perceiving Maskwacis as a community that was striving to overcome negative social issues. As one respondent from the Extension exhibit expressed, ' I knew it was a community that is working at making itself a better place to be.' A respondent from the Wetaskiwin hospital described Maskwacis as ' a...place trying to rebuild. '

Responses aligned with the category of positive perceptions (n=30) mainly described Maskwacis as a place with a strong culture and resilient members. One respondent from the Wetaskiwin hospital described Maskwacis as ' a close-knit community based on family and relationships.' At the Maskwacis event, a respondent stated that, ' The media portrays us as a place of trouble and loss, but this is not reality. There's a lot of talent in our community. '

Changes in ideas

Respondents were asked whether viewing the photo exhibit had changed their ideas about Maskwacis. Ninety-three per cent of respondents (n=236) indicated that viewing the photos had improved their views of Maskwacis. Of those respondents who indicated that their views had not changed, most stated that they previously held positive views of the community, and that the photos had reinforced these views.

Eighteen per cent of respondents (n=46) indicated that viewing the photos helped them understand that Maskwacis was rich with culture and pride. As one respondent from the Wetaskiwin hospital stated, ' I didn't realize this was such a proud and traditional community.' Seventeen per cent of respondents (n=42) indicated that the photos made them aware of the talent and creativity in the community. Fifteen per cent of respondents (n=39) felt that the pictures made Maskwacis seem more relatable to them. As one respondent expressed, ' Makes me feel "like" the youth rather than seeing the community as an "other."' An additional 15% (n=39) referenced how viewing the photos made them aware of the beauty in Maskwacis. According to a University Hospital respondent, ' It looks like people who live here see their community as beautiful. The photos make me think the community is beautiful too.' Thirteen per cent of respondents (n=34) mentioned that the photos helped them to view the community in a hopeful and uplifting light. As a respondent from the Maskwacis event noted, ' The photos gave me hope that our youth are willing and ready to change the image of our community.' Another 9% of respondents (n=22) indicated that the photos made them think of Maskwacis as a place where opportunities were provided for youth to express themselves and participate in community projects. Finally, 6% of respondents (n=14) noted that viewing the photos had positively changed their views of the community, without providing further detail.

DISCUSSION

The current photovoice project, which aimed to positively reframe perceptions of the Maskwacis community, was undertaken in response to concerns from Indigenous community members about the negative perceptions that are widely held about their community. This was not to ignore the current social issues that Maskwacis struggles with and that can largely be traced to colonialism and residential school experiences. Rather, this project aimed to provide a more complete picture of the community by asking youth to uniquely focus on its strengths. To this end, two research questions were posed-namely, 1) How do youth in Maskwacis view their community's strengths? and 2) To what extent can photos be used as a tool for reframing perceptions of an Indigenous community?

With respect to understanding how youth in Maskwacis view their community strengths, the content of photos captured by youth was analyzed using thematic analysis. This resulted in four themes that described the strengths of Maskwacis, reflecting the community's strong relationships, commitment to culture, the beautiful natural world that is a part of Maskwacis and the community's ability to look toward the future. Although this study was conducted specifically with Maskwacis, findings prompt consideration of the strengths and resilience of other Indigenous communities facing similar social and health issues.

In addition, findings provide foundational support for the use of photographs to reframe perceptions of an Indigenous community. The majority (93%) of survey respondents provided examples of ways that viewing the photos had positively changed their perceptions of the Maskwacis community. These examples focused on culture and pride, talent and creativity, relatability, beauty, hopefulness and youth opportunities. In addition, an unprecedented number of people viewed the exhibits, attended photo exhibit openings and responded to surveys. Furthermore, the project received media coverage that was more widespread than anticipated. In total, nine news articles were published on the current project by local media outlets. As a result, a total of six photo exhibits were held, given that media coverage resulted in additional requests for exhibits. This suggests an appetite among Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members to appreciate and understand positive perspectives of Indigenous communities.

Moreover, there is increasing recognition from researchers, service providers and policymakers regarding the critical importance of culturally responsive care in improving the health outcomes of Indigenous patients (28). In order to provide culturally responsive care, it is necessary for paediatric health care providers to maintain insight into issues, both medical and sociopolitical, affecting the health of Indigenous patients. The current study can contribute to elevating such insight and is therefore highly relevant to paediatric health care providers. Furthermore, youth involved in the current project anecdotally described the benefits of learning photography skills, being guided by elders to look for community strengths, as well as the power and appropriateness of imagery among Indigenous peoples. As such, this project opens up possibilities for related future research, including the impact of project participation on youth themselves.

Acknowledgements

This study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Board 1, University of Alberta. Institution where the work originated: University of Alberta.

References

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Promoting the strengths and resilience of an Indigenous community through photovoice

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In the face of negative media attention, community members and Elders from the First Nation community of Maskwacis identified the importance of promoting community strengths and reframing perceptions of their community. Two research questions were addressed: (1) How do youth in Maskwacis view their community strengths?

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Resilience Model

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I found this article really helpful in summarising the model of resilience we are currently studying. There are many nuggets here e.g. “Reframing is at the heart of resilience. It is a way of shifting focus from the cup half empty to the cup half full.”

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Think you're a prisoner of a troubled childhood? Think again. You need not go through the rest of your life as an emotional cripple. It is possible to bounce back from adversity and go on to live a healthy, fulfilling life. In fact, more people do it than you may think.

Resilience may be an art, the ultimate art of living, but is has recently been subjected to the scrutiny of science. This much is known so far. At the heart of resilience is a belief in oneself-yet also a belief in something larger than oneself.

Resilient people do not let adversity define them. They find resilience by moving towards a goal beyond themselves, transcending pain and grief by perceiving bad times as a temporary state of affairs.

Experts argue among themselves about how much of resilience is genetic. People do seem to differ in their inborn ability to handle life's stresses. But resilience can also be cultivated. It's possible to strengthen your inner self and your belief in yourself, to define yourself as capable and competent. It's possible to fortify your psyche. It's possible to develop a sense of mastery.

And it's definitely necessary to go back and reinterpret past events to find the strengths you have probably had within all along. Some evidence shows that it's not really until adulthood that people begin to surmount the difficulties of childhood and to rebuild their lives.

One problem is, there are elements of our culture that glorify frailty, says Washington, D.C. psychiatrist Steven Wolin, M.D. There is a whole industry that would turn you into a victim by having you dwell on the traumas in your life. In reality you have considerable capacity for strength, although you might not be wholly aware of it.

Sometimes it is easier to be a victim; talking about how other people make you do what you do removes the obligation to change. And sympathy can feel sweet; talk of resilience can make some feel that no one is really appreciating exactly how much they have suffered.

Wolin defines resiliency as the capacity to rise above adversity-sometimes the terrible adversity of outright violence, molestation or war-and forge lasting strengths in the struggle. It is the means by which children of troubled families are not immobilized by hardship but rebound from it, learn to protect themselves and emerge as strong adults, able to lead gratifying lives.

Resilient people don't walk between the raindrops; they have scars to show for their experience. They struggle-but keep functioning anyway. Resilience is not the ability to escape unharmed. It is not about magic.

Most people mistakenly operate on what Wolin calls "the damage model," a false belief about the way disease is transmitted. It basically says that if your family is having trouble, the chances are high that you will suffer lasting emotional disturbances. It's a prophecy of doom.

Wolin offers survivors of troubled families a more balanced perspective about their past, based on 20 years of his own research on adult children of alcoholics. Most of them, he has found, do not repeat their parents' drinking patterns. The same is true of adults who have survived families troubled by mental illness, chronic marital disputes, racial discrimination and poverty.

The ground-breaking resilience research of sociologist Emmy Werner, Ph.D., of the University of California, showed that even at the time about a third of kids never seemed to be affected by the grinding poverty, alcoholism and abuse in the homes they grew up in. Of the remaining two-thirds, many were troubled as teens, typically turning to petty crime. But by the time they reached their 30s and 40s, they had pulled themselves together, determined to not repeat their parents' lives.

A troubled family can indeed inflict considerable harm on its children, but resilient people are challenged by such troubles to experiment and respond actively and creatively. Their pre-emptive responses to adversity, repeated over time, become incorporated into their inner selves as lasting strengths.

To the degree that it is learned, resilience seems to develop out of the challenge to maintain self-esteem. Troubled families make their children feel powerless and bad about themselves. Resilience is the capacity for a person to maintain self-esteem despite the powerful influence of the parents.

It is also possible to be hurt and to rebound at the same time. We human beings are complex enough psychologically to accommodate the two. What the resilient do is refrain from blaming themselves for what has gone wrong. In the language of psychology, they externalize blame. And they internalize success; they take responsibility for what goes right in their lives.

One way they do this, Wolin has found, is to maintain independence. Survivors draw boundaries between themselves and troubled parents; they keep their emotional distance while satisfying the demands of conscience. Resilient children often hang out with families of untroubled peers. As adults, the resilient children of alcoholics marry into stable, loving families with whom they spend a great deal of time.

Survivors cultivate insight, the mental habit of asking themselves penetrating questions and giving honest answers. They also take the initiative. They take charge of problems, stretching and testing themselves.

But they don't do all the work alone. One of the cardinal findings of resilience research is that those who lacked strong family support systems growing up sought and received help from others-a teacher, a neighbor, the parents of peers or, eventually, a spouse. They were not afraid to talk about the hard times they were having to someone who cared for their well-being.

Relationships foster resilience, Wolin contends. Resilient people do the active give-and-take work necessary to derive emotional gratification from others.

Reframing is at the heart of resilience. It is a way of shifting focus from the cup half empty to the cup half full. Wolin accords it a central role in "survivor's pride." He tells the story of a patient, a woman who felt helpless. She had been whipped by her father throughout childhood any time he felt challenged. Wolin instead encouraged her to see herself as smart, an accomplished strategist. She had eventually learned to recognize her father's moods and respond to them.

There are lessons in her tale for everyone, Wolin insists. You re-examine your life story to see how heroic your acts were as a child. You go back to an incident, find the strengths, and build self-esteem from the achievement.

Psychologist Edith Grotberg, Ph.D., believes that everyone needs reminders of the strengths they have. She urges people to cultivate resilience by thinking along three lines:

I Have: strong relationships, structure, rules at home, role models; these are external supports that are provided;

I Am: a person who has hope and faith, cares about others, is proud of myself; these are inner strengths that can be developed;

I Can: communicate, solve problems, gauge the temperament of others, seek good relationships-all interpersonal and problem-solving skills that are acquired.

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Think you're a prisoner of a troubled childhood? Think again. You need not go through the rest of your life as an emotional cripple. It is possible to bounce back from adversity and go on to live a healthy, fulfilling life. In fact, more people do it than you may think.

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After our subject this week, knowing that the physical wellbeing is important, why do we avoid it?

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Not enough of us talk honestly about why self-care is so hard.

Be it getting to the gym, procuring healthy meals, keeping up with teeth-cleaning, check-ups, hair cuts, or simply getting to bed on-time, self-care can sometimes feel like a long list of "to-do's" that should make us feel good but instead feel burdensome.

Go to any wellness conference, or read any article, and it isn't hard to add a few more things to our list of how to be healthy. We all know what we need to do to be healthy and take care of ourselves, and if we are curious and motivated, chances are pretty good our list of what we need to do to stay healthy tends to grow, rather than shrink.

We understand how and when we should do these things, and even why they are important. But when push comes to shove, somehow we just can't get ourselves to the gym, into the kitchen, or to bed when we should.

Some days, you just don't feel like doing what it is you know you need to do.

So why is it that self-care is so darn hard sometimes? How does something that's supposed to feel good actually become so exhausting?

This is one of the most common hurdles I help people recognize and anticipate as they embark on improving their wellness and self-care. It's just not as easy as it sounds (or seems like it should be...). Understanding potential pitfalls can help you stay on track and ultimately outsmart them. Here are a few things to consider.
1. Negativity Bias
Knowing all that you should do to take care of yourself isn't the same as being able to do it, and it can skew your perspective, making it hard to see what you actually are doing that's healthy. What is called a negativity bias can be one of the most surprising potholes along the road to wellness. Turns out your thinking about wellness can make a big difference in your experience and participation in it in general. Thinking realistically about self-care can help you select the strategies that make the most sense to you.
2. Effort
Self-care takes work-be it getting your day behind you to get to bed on time, planning, shopping for, and preparing healthy meals, or keeping up with an exercise routine. When you are tired, and perhaps most in need of self-care, is exactly when exerting effort for anything can feel like an especially tall order-even if you know it will help you feel better on the other side. Acknowledging this reality can help you be realistic and gentle with yourself so that you can look for compromises and solutions that better fit with your energy level.
3. Shame
Believe it or not, self-care can be a magnet for shame. Be it shame about not doing the things you know you want or need to do, or the more insidious shame that quietly questions whether you actually deserve care and compassion in the first place, shame can be a toxic bedfellow to self-care and is a powerful accelerant of self-loathing.

We live in a society full of shame, and as social beings are deeply vulnerable to its undercurrents that dictate much of our behavior. However, like many dark and negative emotions, shame can't exist when held up to the rational examination of reality, or to what noted expert Brene Brown has called the daylight of awareness. Indeed, recognizing and naming shame is the fastest way to dismantle its impact on your life.
4. Confusing indulgence with self-care
Indulgence stops being self-care when you feel guilty or unhappy with yourself, and this threshold is different for everyone. One person's self-caring indulgence can be another's gateway to self-harm, depending on your relationship with the activity, your capacity for moderation, and the reality of its consequences.

Take, for example, eating dessert. For someone who maintains a healthy weight and body image, eating dessert is no big deal, whereas for someone struggling to shed unhealthy extra pounds, eating a dessert can be a dangerous threat to their hard-earned momentum. The trick to determining whether an indulgence is safe is to understand your relationship with an activity, be honest with yourself, and aim for moderation. Too much of a good thing is always too much.
5. It's hard to make good decisions when we are tired
Get tired enough, and you will lose discipline and self-control. Out come Angry Birds, the fourth episode of your favorite Netflix series, more dessert, or some other habit-forming activity and substance. With your frontal lobe tired of making decisions, you are more vulnerable to distractions and impulsivity.

When it comes to rewarding activities that stimulate our brain's dopamine system, it can be especially hard to exercise moderation. And worse, our engagement doesn't always feel good. Seldom do we actually feel satisfied-one win at solitaire is never enough. Instead, we are often left chasing another win or left wanting for something else. This is the ultimate rabbit hole, and understanding its allure can help you make better choices and avoid falling in.
6. It's not hard to set yourself up to fail
We all do this. We set up expectations that might seem reasonable on a really good day, but just aren't possible when we are tired or extra stressed. We don't mean to set ourselves up for failure, of course, but we do when we allow our hopes to become our expectations. Predictable feelings of frustration, guilt, and shame can leave us without our optimal coping during the very times we need it most.

If you find yourself struggling to do the things you know you need to do, take note that you are likely overextended-and not at your best. Instead of adding to what is already feeling overwhelming, try to recognize the realities of your overwhelm and give yourself a break.

Can you ditch the shame and see how you can view what you are doing as a positive? Sometimes taking a new perspective can make the difference in helping you turn a corner and get back on track.
This article was originally published on Dr. Clark's blog. It is reprinted with permission.

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Why Does Self-Care Sometimes Feel so Hard?

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Not enough of us talk honestly about why self-care is so hard. Be it getting to the gym, procuring healthy meals, keeping up with teeth-cleaning, check-ups, hair cuts, or simply getting to bed on-time, self-care can sometimes feel like a long list of "to-do's" that should make us feel good but instead feel burdensome.

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I heard of this book from a friend and discovered the story of Amanda Lindhout. She is a young Albertan who overcame her past, endured her hardships, faced her fears, and learned forgiveness. She was criticised by some, yet she took bold steps to rise above her suffering.

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She moved on, but decided to try paying for her travels as a novice photojournalist like Brennan. She returned to Afghanistan, then journeyed to Baghdad after landing a dodgy job as an on-camera correspondent for a television channel financed by the Iranian government. This earned the guileless Lindhout the disdain of the Baghdad-based press corps. When other reporters discovered her live stand-ups for the Iranians on YouTube, in which she, "quick-talking and naïve," had criticized their work, she decamped to Kenya, a jumping-off point for journalists covering the war in Somalia.

Lindhout hoped to make her bones in Somalia, "the most dangerous country on earth." She also persuaded Brennan - now divorced - to join her. She missed him, she writes, but "the reality was that I was starting to need Nigel, or somebody, to come with me and share the costs." At this moment in the memoir, Lindhout is not an especially sympathetic character. She seems more interested in the rush than in the work she's doing, and it's unclear what besides ego and adrenaline are propelling her. Yet absolutely nothing she does or has done up to this point renders her responsible for the brutality that followed, or can explain how she emerged with unfathomable grace and wisdom.

In mid-August 2008, when she and Brennan landed in the wrecked city of Mogadishu with no clue what they were doing and no assignments to speak of (other than a travel column Lindhout was writing for her hometown paper, The Red Deer Advocate), their already tenuous situation took an immediate turn for the worse. Their experienced guide fobbed them off on an assistant. After a few frustrating days, they set out one afternoon to visit a hospital and camp for displaced people, led by a singular Somali doctor. On the road, disaster struck in the form of heavily armed gunmen, who dragged them into captivity.

It's here that the narrative begins to gain its tremendous power. As Lindhout's external landscape turns upside down, her inner one sharpens and deepens. From their first hours as prisoners, she and Brennan were forced to negotiate their uncertain survival with a shifting array of captors possessed of differing manners and agendas. Heartbreakingly, Lindhout called each man "brother"; she hoped that through her scant command of Islam she could connect with them. She dreaded being separated from Brennan and raped. Her illusion of control had yet to shatter as she racked her brain for ways to communicate: "If only we could hit upon the right strategy for talking to the men holding us."

There was no such strategy. On learning she was being held for a ransom of $1.5 million, Lindhout despaired. She knew her impoverished family could do little to save her. So without Brennan's assent, she announced to the militants that the two of them wanted to convert to Islam.

Conversion was, at first, a gambit to save their lives. Reading and memorizing the Koran, however, became a form of solace. They studied not as believers, but as prosecutorial lawyers looking for chapters and verses with which to make a case for their safety. As Lindhout puts it: "I read the book in hopes of using their religion to talk my way out." She searched desperately to find words that forbade her captors from violating her. Instead, she discovered verses that suggested the opposite. The first of her rapists arrived.

There's no self-pity or grandiosity in these pages. The rage and self-hatred born out of bad decisions and bad luck have long since burned into a clear-hearted attempt to record the cruelties Lindhout endured. (She has since created a foundation that seeks to educate Somali youth.)

In the cleanest prose, she and Corbett allow events both horrific and absurd - like Lindhout's diligently translating, from a smartphone, a message to jihadis from Osama bin Laden - to unfold on their own. Lindhout's resilience transforms the story from a litany of horrors into a humbling encounter with the human spirit.

To withstand her anguish, she recited a catalog of the small gifts for which she was grateful: "my family at home, the oxygen in my lungs," the fact that "Jamal set my food down on the floor instead of throwing it at me." She practiced compassion for her captors even after they gang-raped her, an episode she recounts with characteristic restraint, rendering it all the more terrible for what is left unsaid: "Together, they crossed into a darker place, where there was no retrievable dignity for anybody. They became guilty, one the same as another. I bled not for hours or days but for weeks afterward."

Most remarkably, in total darkness, Lindhout transcended her starving, feverish body. She built first stairways, then rooms in the stillness of the air above her. She built, as the title suggests, a "house in the sky," where "the voices that normally tore through my head expressing fear and wishing for death went silent, until there was only one left speaking." This voice asks, "In this exact moment, are you O.K.?" She answers, "Yes, right now I am still O.K."

A HOUSE IN THE SKY

373 pp. Scribner. $27.

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'A House in the Sky,' by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

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She moved on, but decided to try paying for her travels as a novice photojournalist like Brennan. She returned to Afghanistan, then journeyed to Baghdad after landing a dodgy job as an on-camera correspondent for a television channel financed by the Iranian government. This earned the guileless Lindhout the disdain of the Baghdad-based press corps.

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Great podcast on maintaining energy levels...which fuels resilience.

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Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast - Understanding Your Four Forms of Energy

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It's almost impossible to lead well when your tank is empty. In this episode, join Craig Groeschel to take a close look at four different types of energy-and why they can make a huge difference in how you lead day in and day out.

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5 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset using Grit & Resilience

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5 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset using Grit & Resilience

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When was the last time you showed resilience?

How about grit?

It has been several years since Angela Duckworth's TED talk catapulted these two traits into our everyday vernacular and still more since the dawn of Carol Dweck's fixed versus growth mindset research. What have we learned?

When we demonstrate grit or are described as gritty, it is because we have had the resilience to push ourselves over, through, around, and sometimes under obstacles. How do people learn to do this?

Are people born with grit? According to research from Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, and Kelly (2007), grit is a question of nature and nurture, not one or the other. For people to develop grit, they need to cultivate a growth mindset.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Resilience Exercises for free. These engaging, science-based exercises will help you to develop grit and effectively deal with difficult circumstances, and give you the tools to improve the resilience of your clients, students, or employees.

The Growth Mindset Explained

Carol Dweck is widely known for her work in this field. Through her research, she identified two mindsets: fixed and growth. A fixed mindset is "believing your qualities are carved in stone," while a growth mindset is "the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts" (Dweck, 2006, pp. 6-7).

The experience of these mindsets is on a continuum. It is not possible to always operate from one or the other. For example, you might have a fixed or growth perspective about your math ability. Maybe you think that you are horrible with numbers because they do not come naturally to you. In your mind, you either "get" math or you don't.

On the other hand, you could have a growth mindset if you believe you have the ability to learn math because it is a skill that a person develops. Your perspective is that you do not understand it, yet.

An individual also could have a fixed mindset in one area of their life and a growth mindset in another. Maybe you believe you are not athletically inclined, so you avoid sports or other physically demanding activities. You believe people are born with athletic prowess and that they have a natural talent that you do not possess.

In another area of your life, you feel confident in your public-speaking ability, so you seek out opportunities to do that more often. You also believe it is a skill that develops with practice. Each time you do it and receive feedback, you learn how to get better. This motivates you to continue.

It is easy to understand how a fixed mindset could hold a person back. In our math ability example, that person might avoid seeking jobs that involve math. The bottom line is that some people operate from the perspective that intelligence is a finite thing. Others believe it is mutable.

In an article for the Harvard Business Review, Dweck (2016) points out three areas of confusion some experience regarding her research. First, people mix up open-mindedness and positivity with having a growth mindset, believing that they have always had a growth mindset and, therefore, always will.

Second, some people believe that praising and rewarding effort is all that matters. Her research demonstrated that acknowledging the process is critical, as is the learning and progress that led to the process.

Finally, sometimes people think that if they talk about a growth mindset, or put up posters about it, that is all that is needed. Without doing any work to create a growth mindset culture or environment, those posters are just paper on a wall.

Having a growth mindset involves understanding that taking appropriate risks sometimes leads to failure. The difference, though, is in how a person with a growth mindset defines and rebounds from that failure. People who consistently develop and maintain a growth mindset share the following characteristics (Dweck, 2006, p. 245):

They embrace challenges.

They persist in the face of setbacks.

They see effort as the path to mastery.

They learn from criticism.

They find lessons and inspiration in the success of others.

It is not enough to shift our mindset. We also need a healthy dose of grit and resilience to achieve short- and long-term goals.

What Are Grit and Resilience?

In 2006, an aspiring PhD candidate was fascinated with the idea that some people seem to be grittier than others. Her exploration started after deciding to become a 7th-grade math teacher several years earlier. She noticed that some students appeared to have the ability to tackle long-term challenges better than others, regardless of IQ scores.

You probably have heard of Angela Lee Duckworth and her work around grit and resilience. In case you have not or need a reminder, here is her 2013 TED talk, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

Duckworth et al. (2007) define grit this way:

"Grit is the tendency to sustain interest in and effort toward very long-term goals."

People are born with various levels of grit, but Duckworth contends that it is a trait that develops through experience. One key to improving it, as she points out in her TED talk, is by shifting your mindset from a fixed to a growth orientation.

Because grit is about intense passion for a particular goal, people can demonstrate it in one area, but not others. Those other areas might require self-control, but not grit. Duckworth (n.d.) provides the example of completing your taxes by April 15th.

It is difficult to commit fully to multiple long-term goals simultaneously and expect that we will achieve success. For example, having the passion for becoming an ultra-marathoner while also pursuing your dream of becoming a world-class anything else would prove more than challenging. The demands of one will likely supersede the other, or your skills will not develop in either area as well as necessary.

Grit is about sustained, consistent effort toward a goal even when we struggle, falter, or temporarily fail.

Resilience is our ability to bounce back after we have struggled, faltered, or failed. It is being able to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, take a moment or two to collect ourselves, and then get back to the business of pursuing our goal. It involves optimism.

Some people are more resilient than others. Like grit, it is a characteristic a person can develop. The American Psychological Association (2012) created a useful resource titled The Road to Resilience. In it, the contributors define resilience as "the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress - such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors."

Grit is the engine that moves us toward our goal. Resilience is the oil that keeps the engine moving.

5 Real-Life Examples of Grit

We can all think of famous examples of grit, but it might be more challenging for us to see examples in our everyday lives.

Regardless of whether this is because we cringe at drawing attention to our triumphs or because it is simply unacceptable in our culture, the examples are all around us.

Here are a few:

You are in your first year on a wrestling team, and you are learning about the sport. Every time you attend a tournament, you lose your matches. Rather than quit, you return to every practice, drill, and go to the next tournament.

You are learning a difficult piece of music. It has complicated finger movements, and you are considered an "average" musician by your instructors. Many of your peers perform with more grace and confidence than you. Instead of giving up, you practice daily. You are deliberate in your efforts. Over several weeks, your finger movements become increasingly more fluid as you practice.

You have always had an interest in learning a martial art, but you are over 40, and your body is not flexible. Other students are faster, stronger, and more flexible than you. You never miss training sessions, practice the techniques, and learn to adapt them to your body while also increasing your stamina, speed, and accuracy. After several months, you earn your first rank toward a black belt.

You have never been a good artist. Your idea of drawing a person is a stick figure. Determined to learn how to draw a life-like person, you take classes at a local art school. After a few months of consistent drawing, you can create a self-portrait.

You have always wanted to learn another language, but believe you are too old, and it will take too long to become fluent. You see a language course promoting fluency in three months, and it is geared toward people who are not natural language learners. You think this might work, so you join the program. You become involved with the active online group, complete the lessons, and post them for others to review. The end-of-course challenge is to have a 15-minute conversation in your target language. On the final day of your three-month study, you post your video.

Where have you demonstrated grit in your life? Feel free to share an example in the comment section.

Why Are Grit and Resilience Important to the Growth Mindset?

Developing grit and resilience helps a person to build and sustain a growth mindset. Duckworth (2013) might disagree, based on her 2013 TED talk. She stated that she believes a growth mindset helps build grit.

What if it is a combination of both? If people are born with some level of grit, it is possible that grit contributes to their mindset. Think about a child who is beginning to walk. Some do this without much encouragement at all. They pull themselves up, take a few steps, fall, get back up, and the process repeats until their parents cannot catch them.

Other children, after several falls, need much more encouragement to get up and try again. Is it possible that this is an early sign of grit and resilience? If people are born with a tendency toward a growth or fixed mindset, does the natural grit some people have contribute to their tendency?

People with a fixed mindset may not demonstrate grit. After all, if you believe that intelligence or other abilities are innate, what is the point in trying to improve? Duckworth's research is ongoing, and the question of why grit and resilience are important to having a growth mindset continues.

10 Ways to Develop Grit and Resilience

Building resilience and grit varies from person to person and is influenced by our culture. Still, the American Psychological Association offers 10 ways to build resilience that just about anyone can do.

1. If you are not a social person, becoming more social (i.e., purposely connecting with others) can help.

2. Get control over how you respond to the adverse events you experience.

3. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus gets credit for saying, "The only constant in life is change." Get used to it. Sometimes a goal needs to be abandoned because it is no longer attainable. The inability to accept things that we cannot change is a futile pursuit.

4. Apply the Kaizen principle to your goals. Start with the absolute smallest component that relates to the larger, long-term goal. As Walt Disney famously said, "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

5. Commit to making decisions when you find yourself in a tough situation. There is no room for wishy-washy actions.

6. We can learn a lot about ourselves when we struggle through a bad experience. How have our relationships grown? How have we gained strength or perspective?

7. Forget negative self-talk. Trust that you know yourself better than anyone else, and you have the intelligence and power to make forthright decisions. You can solve problems as they arise.

8. Bad things will happen. Try to think about them from a lifelong perspective. Draw a line on a paper representing the day you were born to the age you believe you will die. Mark off significant life events, positive and negative along that line. Place a line on that paper that represents your current age. Put a dot on that line to mark the current adversity. In the grand scheme of your life, how significant is that dot? When you look back at past events, how much or how little do they affect your life now?

9. Practice optimism. This is not a denial of the bad. It is an acknowledgment of the good and what is possible in your life.

10. Practice self-compassion, get some exercise, learn something new, and spend time laughing.

Not surprisingly, doing several of those 10 things can also help you develop grit.

Duckworth created the Grit Scale to measure people's grittiness. It is a 10-question, Likert-type survey. You rate your level of agreement with each statement. Your grit score ranges from 0.0 to 5.0. The higher the score, the grittier you are as compared to the results of other American adults who participated in the most recent study (though this is not specifically identified.) Results are immediately provided.

For the therapists and educators, another excellent way to develop grit and resilience in your clients is by teaching them resilience. Our Realizing Resilience Masterclass will provide you with a full set of tools to do this.

This masterclass is highly recommended and science based. All claims are backed by science and research. You will be provided with workbooks, exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and a certificate upon completion.

Grit Team-Building Activities

Leaders and managers can help their teams develop grit in four ways.

Conduct a project post mortem or after-action check-in when projects are completed. This allows the team to identify where operations worked or failed. This is a positive, lessons-learned activity with concrete plans to resolve issues that could negatively affect future projects.

Do hard tasks together; for example, consider a ropes course or other challenge that requires contribution from every team member.

Clarify the overall goals and mission, including time for questions, so that team members have a thorough understanding of the 'why' of the organization.

Train and keep the team together throughout a project to develop team cohesiveness and support.

Several of the ways to build grit in individuals, whether they are children, teens, or adults, are useful when working with a team.

Developing Grit in Students

Dweck's book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, spawned the creation of several growth mindset interventions. One of the most well-established programs is from MindsetWorks. Their focus is on working with teachers, students, and parents to develop growth mindsets in kids. Their signature program is Brainology for students in grades 4-9.

The Brainology curriculum teaches students how their brain works and how effort and learning affect their success. Dweck's (2006) research identified that when students understand this information, they are more motivated and perform better academically.

Another important aspect of developing grit in students is understanding that according to Duckworth's research, grit increases as we age. That 12-year-old who needs to get "grittier" likely will because of changing circumstances throughout life. She encourages people to engage in deliberate practice and to create a culture of grit. To do this, emphasize the following:

Mistakes happen, but they are temporary opportunities from which we can learn and grow.

Problem solving can be facilitated by breaking the problem down into smaller, more manageable parts and understanding where students may have control over the problem.

Timely, detailed feedback is important and useful.

Questions encourage self-reflection.

Create goals that are just outside of reach.

Repeatedly practice the skill the student wants to improve.

If you ask an adult what makes them gritty, they will probably say, "life." What they mean by this is that the experiences we encounter break us down and build us up. It is through failure that we learn our greatest lessons, and those lessons often are about what it takes for us to achieve our goals.

For Children

The Big Life Journal company creates resources that help children ages four and up to develop a growth mindset. Their work and these resilience-building activities are based on research done by Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth. These also are activities that adults can do.

1. Find a purpose. When people identify their goals, this contributes to their sense of purpose and motivates them to act.

2. Interview people who have experienced tough times and lived to tell the tale. This could be a grandparent, another family member, or a neighbor.

3. There are lots of examples of famous people who have overcome obstacles. Watch a movie or read a book or article about them.

4. Find examples of grit in nature; for example, corn stalks growing between road grates, or a tree growing from rubble.

5. Read books together about perseverance.

6. Help your child figure out the hard part of the problem they are experiencing. Breaking it down makes it easier to tackle. It also helps them determine which parts are within their control.

7. Try "the hard thing" rule used by Duckworth. Everyone chooses a difficult task. They must finish whatever they start. No one can select the task for someone else.

8. Try the "Grit Pie" exercise. The pie is the problem. Each slice is a possible cause. Have the child determine if the cause is permanent or temporary and whether they blame themselves or someone else. Often, the child will identify the problem as temporary. You can help them see how they can gain control by making some changes.

9. Model a growth mindset. When your children see you setting goals, overcoming setbacks, and achieving goals, you are reinforcing a growth mindset. You also are showing them what grit and resilience look like.

Check out the Big Life Kids Podcast for engaging stories and lessons, as well as our article on How to Nurture a Growth Mindset in Kids.

5 Inspiring Quotes

There are several quotes about resilience and grit, too many from which to choose, but choose we must. These might resonate with you.

Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before.

Elizabeth Edwards

Sleep is a key part of the requirements for resilience and good decision-making.

James G. Stavridis

Being gritty doesn't mean not showing pain or pretending everything is O.K. In fact, when you look at healthy and successful and giving people, they are extraordinarily meta-cognitive. They're able to say things like, 'Dude, I totally lost my temper this morning.' That ability to reflect on yourself is signature to grit.

Angela Duckworth

Humans are creatures of habit. If you quit when things get tough, it gets that much easier to quit the next time. On the other hand. If you force yourself to push through it, the grit begins to grow in you.

Travis Bradberry

Grit, in a word, is stamina. But it's not just stamina in your effort. It's also stamina in your direction, stamina in your interests. If you are working on different things but all of them very hard, you're not really going to get anywhere. You'll never become an expert.

Angela Duckworth

What inspiring quotes would you add to this list?

5 Popular Books on the Topic

No article about grit, resilience, and a growth mindset is complete without offering a few book suggestions. Many of you are familiar with the first two on this list. The other four each provide a different perspective on this topic.

1. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth

Why is grit important to success? Duckworth investigates this through her research.

She learned that grit is not based on IQ. It is a quality that can be learned.

Duckworth reveals how to do this by teaching people to have a growth mindset.

Available on Amazon.

2. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success - Carol S. Dweck

Learn the difference between a fixed and growth mindset, and how it can help you become more successful in your pursuits.

Available on Amazon.

3. Beyond Grit: Ten Powerful Practices to Gain the High-Performance Edge - Cindra Kamphoff

Fifty-two life-altering strategies await you in this book about moving past grit to consistent mental strength.

Kamphoff offers practical tools to master your mindset through ongoing attention.

Available on Amazon.

4. Emotional GRIT: 8 Steps to Master Your Emotions, Transform Your Thoughts & Change Your World - Neeta Bhushan

Bhushan shares her model of human leadership that is heart centered and compassionate.

She begins by exploring the stories that hold a person back.

She helps the reader analyze these stories, break them down, and then reframe them to become emotionally gritty.

Available on Amazon.

5. The Stress Effect: Why Smart Leaders Make Dumb Decisions and What to Do About It - Henry L. Thompson

This book emphasizes the importance of awareness, sleep, nutrition, support, exercise, attitude, and learning not only to combat stress, but also to increase grit and resilience.

Available on Amazon.

A Take-Home Message

Grit, resilience, and a growth mindset are intertwined. Some believe these traits are innate, but others, like Dweck and Duckworth, believe they can be developed. Developing them takes time, patience, and attention.

There are many resources available, including books, programs, positive psychology podcasts, and movies that can help a person better understand these traits. Duckworth's Grit Scale is a good place to start for those who want to assess their level of grit.

An important aspect of all the research is that grit, resilience, and growth mindsets change over time and are influenced by our thoughts, beliefs, and experiences.

How will you develop more grit and resilience so that you can experience a growth mindset in more areas of your life?

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Resilience Exercises for free.

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5+ Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset Using Grit & Resilience

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Grit is the engine that moves us toward our goal, and resilience is the oil that keeps it humming. Learn 5 ways to develop grit & resilience.

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Tommy Caldwell's ascent of the Dawn Wall

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Tommy Caldwell's ascent of the Dawn Wall

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This movie capture part of Tommy's story of resilience. After the traumatic experience of being taken hostage he poured himself into climbing. This movie highlights not only the benefits of physical activity and sport, but also their limitations and potential hazards. Very captivating- as well as the side story of Kevin Jorgensen's struggles to overcome a mental block during their ascent.

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Two men. 3000 vertical feet. They set their sights high -- really high. Now, make the near-impossible ascent with them. Watch trailers & learn more.

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I used this song's lyrics to intro my sermon on James 1:2-4 on Sunday.

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I used this song's lyrics to intro my sermon on James 1:2-4 on Sunday.

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There are not a lot of good answers to these questions.

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Tenille Townes - Jersey on the Wall (I'm Just Asking) [Lyrics]

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I've always loved reading stories of those who had survived the Holocaust. I read a book called, "Night," by Eli Wiesel.

I was so shocked by the horrible things that he went through and yet survived. He did go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize,

Here is his Biography in a link, but you can also watch his interview as well.

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/biographical/

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Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman (Song & Story behind song). 

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Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman (Song & Story behind song). 

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I have found the song, "blessed be the name" to be very powerful over the years. We can never control life and it's easy to praise God when things are going the way that you want. Below is a write up for the story behind the lyrics.

"On September 15, 2001, we flew into L.A. for the start of a sabbatical break in California. Four days earlier we'd watched with the rest of the world, gripped by those terrible, nation-shaking events of 9/11. Over the new few days and weeks in the U.S, as we watched the news, talked with neighbors and visited many different churches, the full effect of the terrorist attacks began to unfold before us. Brokenness was everywhere, and many people sought some kind of comfort in the church. Our landlady, which just weeks before had relocated to Manhattan, set foot inside a church building for the first time since her childhood. For the few weeks following those attacks, church attendance all over America went up dramatically.

During this time we had the privilege of visiting many different congregations. We were so inspired and impressed by the preachers. Virtually everywhere we went, pastors delievered biblical and powerful sermons, speaking into the pain of the nation. They eloquently and powerfully expressed the heart of God over a shocked and vulnerable people- and reminded them of His strength and soverignity. But nearly everywhere we visited, a worrying question began to arise: Where were the songwriters at such a time as this? Where were the musical poets and prophets to help the people of God find a voice in worship at this tragic time? The truth was, in most places we visited (or led worship in), there was a distinct lack of songs appropriate for this time. As songwriters and lead worshipers, we had a few expressions of hope at our dismal; but when it came to expressions of pain and lament, we had very little vocabulary to give voice to our heart cries... The truth is, the Church of God needs her songs of lament just as much as she needs her songs of victory.

A few weeks after 9/11, we wrote the worship song "Blessed Be Your Name." It wasn't written consciously in response to those dark events- but no doubt, being immersed in the spiritual and emotional climate of those days was an important factor in birthing it. Many people ask if there was a particular life event that triggered off the writing of this song, and in all truth, the answer is no. It's really a song born out of the whole of life- a realization that we will all face seasons of pain or unease. And in these seasons we will need to find our voice before God. The Church (and indeed the world) needs it songs of lament." - Matt Redman

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Matt Redman - Blessed Be Your Name (Lyrics And Chords)

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Brene Brown's 'I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough"'

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Brene Brown's 'I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough"'

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This is a secular resource but I have heard a lot of things about the theories that Brene Brown has put out there.

You will see in the picture a glimpse of her understanding behind the Shame Resilience Theory.

A lot of her work has to do with being a people who overcomes adversity. Much about understanding oneself more to engage with others in healthily.

This link has some of her other work, but mostly it will have a brief overview of the book titled in this message.

https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/shame-resilience-theory/

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Don Moen - God will make a way, where there seems to be no way ... 1 Corinthians 10:13

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Don Moen - God will make a way, where there seems to be no way ... 1 Corinthians 10:13

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Many parallels from class.

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THE MINDSET OF A WINNER | Kobe Bryant Champions Advice

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HOW PEOPLE LEARN TO BECOME RESILIENTBy Maria KonnikovaFebruary 11, 2016Perception is key to resilience Do you conceptualize an event as traumatic or as a chance to learn and growPerception is key to resilience: Do you conceptualize an event as traumatic, or as a chance to learn and grow?Illustration by Gizem VuralNorman Garmezy, a developmental psychologist and clinician at the University of Minnesota, met thousands of children in his four decades of research. But one boy in particular stuck with him. He was nine years old, with an alcoholic mother and an absent father. Each day, he would arrive at school with the exact same sandwich: two slices of bread with nothing in between. At home, there was no other food available, and no one to make any. Even so, Garmezy would later recall, the boy wanted to make sure that “no one would feel pity for him and no one would know the ineptitude of his mother.” Each day, without fail, he would walk in with a smile on his face and a “bread sandwich” tucked into his bag.The boy with the bread sandwich was part of a special group of children. He belonged to a cohort of kids—the first of many—whom Garmezy would go on to identify as succeeding, even excelling, despite incredibly difficult circumstances. These were the children who exhibited a trait Garmezy would later identify as “resilience.” (He is widely credited with being the first to study the concept in an experimental setting.) Over many years, Garmezy would visit schools across the country, focussing on those in economically depressed areas, and follow a standard protocol. He would set up meetings with the principal, along with a school social worker or nurse, and pose the same question: Were there any children whose backgrounds had initially raised red flags—kids who seemed likely to become problem kids—who had instead become, surprisingly, a source of pride? “What I was saying was, ‘Can you identify stressed children who are making it here in your school?’ ” Garmezy said, in a 1999 interview. “There would be a long pause after my inquiry before the answer came. If I had said, ‘Do you have kids in this school who seem to be troubled?,’ there wouldn’t have been a moment’s delay. But to be asked about children who were adaptive and good citizens in the school and making it even though they had come out of very disturbed backgrounds—that was a new sort of inquiry. That’s the way we began.”Resilience presents a challenge for psychologists. Whether you can be said to have it or not largely depends not on any particular psychological test but on the way your life unfolds. If you are lucky enough to never experience any sort of adversity, we won’t know how resilient you are. It’s only when you’re faced with obstacles, stress, and other environmental threats that resilience, or the lack of it, emerges: Do you succumb or do you surmount?Environmental threats can come in various guises. Some are the result of low socioeconomic status and challenging home conditions. (Those are the threats studied in Garmezy’s work.) Often, such threats—parents with psychological or other problems; exposure to violence or poor treatment; being a child of problematic divorce—are chronic. Other threats are acute: experiencing or witnessing a traumatic violent encounter, for example, or being in an accident. What matters is the intensity and the duration of the stressor. In the case of acute stressors, the intensity is usually high. The stress resulting from chronic adversity, Garmezy wrote, might be lower—but it “exerts repeated and cumulative impact on resources and adaptation and persists for many months and typically considerably longer.”Prior to Garmezy’s work on resilience, most research on trauma and negative life events had a reverse focus. Instead of looking at areas of strength, it looked at areas of vulnerability, investigating the experiences that make people susceptible to poor life outcomes (or that lead kids to be “troubled,” as Garmezy put it). Garmezy’s work opened the door to the study of protective factors: the elements of an individual’s background or personality that could enable success despite the challenges they faced. Garmezy retired from research before reaching any definitive conclusions—his career was cut short by early-onset Alzheimer’s—but his students and followers were able to identify elements that fell into two groups: individual, psychological factors and external, environmental factors, or disposition on the one hand and luck on the other.In 1989 a developmental psychologist named Emmy Werner published the results of a thirty-two-year longitudinal project. She had followed a group of six hundred and ninety-eight children, in Kauai, Hawaii, from before birth through their third decade of life. Along the way, she’d monitored them for any exposure to stress: maternal stress in utero, poverty, problems in the family, and so on. Two-thirds of the children came from backgrounds that were, essentially, stable, successful, and happy; the other third qualified as “at risk.” Like Garmezy, she soon discovered that not all of the at-risk children reacted to stress in the same way. Two-thirds of them “developed serious learning or behavior problems by the age of ten, or had delinquency records, mental health problems, or teen-age pregnancies by the age of eighteen.” But the remaining third developed into “competent, confident, and caring young adults.” They had attained academic, domestic, and social success—and they were always ready to capitalize on new opportunities that arose.What was it that set the resilient children apart? Because the individuals in her sample had been followed and tested consistently for three decades, Werner had a trove of data at her disposal. She found that several elements predicted resilience. Some elements had to do with luck: a resilient child might have a strong bond with a supportive caregiver, parent, teacher, or other mentor-like figure. But another, quite large set of elements was psychological, and had to do with how the children responded to the environment. From a young age, resilient children tended to “meet the world on their own terms.” They were autonomous and independent, would seek out new experiences, and had a “positive social orientation.” “Though not especially gifted, these children used whatever skills they had effectively,” Werner wrote. Perhaps most importantly, the resilient children had what psychologists call an “internal locus of control”: they believed that they, and not their circumstances, affected their achievements. The resilient children saw themselves as the orchestrators of their own fates. In fact, on a scale that measured locus of control, they scored more than two standard deviations away from the standardization group.VIDEO FROM THE NEW YORKERWhy Hong Kong’s Protests ExplodedWerner also discovered that resilience could change over time. Some resilient children were especially unlucky: they experienced multiple strong stressors at vulnerable points and their resilience evaporated. Resilience, she explained, is like a constant calculation: Which side of the equation weighs more, the resilience or the stressors? The stressors can become so intense that resilience is overwhelmed. Most people, in short, have a breaking point. On the flip side, some people who weren’t resilient when they were little somehow learned the skills of resilience. They were able to overcome adversity later in life and went on to flourish as much as those who’d been resilient the whole way through. This, of course, raises the question of how resilience might be learned.George Bonanno is a clinical psychologist at Columbia University’s Teachers College; he heads the Loss, Trauma, and Emotion Lab and has been studying resilience for nearly twenty-five years. Garmezy, Werner, and others have shown that some people are far better than others at dealing with adversity; Bonanno has been trying to figure out where that variation might come from. Bonanno’s theory of resilience starts with an observation: all of us possess the same fundamental stress-response system, which has evolved over millions of years and which we share with other animals. The vast majority of people are pretty good at using that system to deal with stress. When it comes to resilience, the question is: Why do some people use the system so much more frequently or effectively than others?

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HOW PEOPLE LEARN TO BECOME RESILIENTBy Maria KonnikovaFebruary 11, 2016Perception is key to resilience Do you conceptualize an event as traumatic or as a chance to learn and growPerception is key to resilience: Do you conceptualize an event as traumatic, or as a chance to learn and grow?Illustration by Gizem VuralNorman Garmezy, a developmental psychologist and clinician at the University of Minnesota, met thousands of children in his four decades of research. But one boy in particular stuck with him. He was nine years old, with an alcoholic mother and an absent father. Each day, he would arrive at school with the exact same sandwich: two slices of bread with nothing in between. At home, there was no other food available, and no one to make any. Even so, Garmezy would later recall, the boy wanted to make sure that “no one would feel pity for him and no one would know the ineptitude of his mother.” Each day, without fail, he would walk in with a smile on his face and a “bread sandwich” tucked into his bag.The boy with the bread sandwich was part of a special group of children. He belonged to a cohort of kids—the first of many—whom Garmezy would go on to identify as succeeding, even excelling, despite incredibly difficult circumstances. These were the children who exhibited a trait Garmezy would later identify as “resilience.” (He is widely credited with being the first to study the concept in an experimental setting.) Over many years, Garmezy would visit schools across the country, focussing on those in economically depressed areas, and follow a standard protocol. He would set up meetings with the principal, along with a school social worker or nurse, and pose the same question: Were there any children whose backgrounds had initially raised red flags—kids who seemed likely to become problem kids—who had instead become, surprisingly, a source of pride? “What I was saying was, ‘Can you identify stressed children who are making it here in your school?’ ” Garmezy said, in a 1999 interview. “There would be a long pause after my inquiry before the answer came. If I had said, ‘Do you have kids in this school who seem to be troubled?,’ there wouldn’t have been a moment’s delay. But to be asked about children who were adaptive and good citizens in the school and making it even though they had come out of very disturbed backgrounds—that was a new sort of inquiry. That’s the way we began.”Resilience presents a challenge for psychologists. Whether you can be said to have it or not largely depends not on any particular psychological test but on the way your life unfolds. If you are lucky enough to never experience any sort of adversity, we won’t know how resilient you are. It’s only when you’re faced with obstacles, stress, and other environmental threats that resilience, or the lack of it, emerges: Do you succumb or do you surmount?Environmental threats can come in various guises. Some are the result of low socioeconomic status and challenging home conditions. (Those are the threats studied in Garmezy’s work.) Often, such threats—parents with psychological or other problems; exposure to violence or poor treatment; being a child of problematic divorce—are chronic. Other threats are acute: experiencing or witnessing a traumatic violent encounter, for example, or being in an accident. What matters is the intensity and the duration of the stressor. In the case of acute stressors, the intensity is usually high. The stress resulting from chronic adversity, Garmezy wrote, might be lower—but it “exerts repeated and cumulative impact on resources and adaptation and persists for many months and typically considerably longer.”Prior to Garmezy’s work on resilience, most research on trauma and negative life events had a reverse focus. Instead of looking at areas of strength, it looked at areas of vulnerability, investigating the experiences that make people susceptible to poor life outcomes (or that lead kids to be “troubled,” as Garmezy put it). Garmezy’s work opened the door to the study of protective factors: the elements of an individual’s background or personality that could enable success despite the challenges they faced. Garmezy retired from research before reaching any definitive conclusions—his career was cut short by early-onset Alzheimer’s—but his students and followers were able to identify elements that fell into two groups: individual, psychological factors and external, environmental factors, or disposition on the one hand and luck on the other.In 1989 a developmental psychologist named Emmy Werner published the results of a thirty-two-year longitudinal project. She had followed a group of six hundred and ninety-eight children, in Kauai, Hawaii, from before birth through their third decade of life. Along the way, she’d monitored them for any exposure to stress: maternal stress in utero, poverty, problems in the family, and so on. Two-thirds of the children came from backgrounds that were, essentially, stable, successful, and happy; the other third qualified as “at risk.” Like Garmezy, she soon discovered that not all of the at-risk children reacted to stress in the same way. Two-thirds of them “developed serious learning or behavior problems by the age of ten, or had delinquency records, mental health problems, or teen-age pregnancies by the age of eighteen.” But the remaining third developed into “competent, confident, and caring young adults.” They had attained academic, domestic, and social success—and they were always ready to capitalize on new opportunities that arose.What was it that set the resilient children apart? Because the individuals in her sample had been followed and tested consistently for three decades, Werner had a trove of data at her disposal. She found that several elements predicted resilience. Some elements had to do with luck: a resilient child might have a strong bond with a supportive caregiver, parent, teacher, or other mentor-like figure. But another, quite large set of elements was psychological, and had to do with how the children responded to the environment. From a young age, resilient children tended to “meet the world on their own terms.” They were autonomous and independent, would seek out new experiences, and had a “positive social orientation.” “Though not especially gifted, these children used whatever skills they had effectively,” Werner wrote. Perhaps most importantly, the resilient children had what psychologists call an “internal locus of control”: they believed that they, and not their circumstances, affected their achievements. The resilient children saw themselves as the orchestrators of their own fates. In fact, on a scale that measured locus of control, they scored more than two standard deviations away from the standardization group.VIDEO FROM THE NEW YORKERWhy Hong Kong’s Protests ExplodedWerner also discovered that resilience could change over time. Some resilient children were especially unlucky: they experienced multiple strong stressors at vulnerable points and their resilience evaporated. Resilience, she explained, is like a constant calculation: Which side of the equation weighs more, the resilience or the stressors? The stressors can become so intense that resilience is overwhelmed. Most people, in short, have a breaking point. On the flip side, some people who weren’t resilient when they were little somehow learned the skills of resilience. They were able to overcome adversity later in life and went on to flourish as much as those who’d been resilient the whole way through. This, of course, raises the question of how resilience might be learned.George Bonanno is a clinical psychologist at Columbia University’s Teachers College; he heads the Loss, Trauma, and Emotion Lab and has been studying resilience for nearly twenty-five years. Garmezy, Werner, and others have shown that some people are far better than others at dealing with adversity; Bonanno has been trying to figure out where that variation might come from. Bonanno’s theory of resilience starts with an observation: all of us possess the same fundamental stress-response system, which has evolved over millions of years and which we share with other animals. The vast majority of people are pretty good at using that system to deal with stress. When it comes to resilience, the question is: Why do some people use the system so much more frequently or effectively than others?

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The story of Dr Okanlami
Inspirational story of a young man who refused to let his circumstances define his outcomes.

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Life Orientation Test- A test for optimism

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Life Orientation Test- A test for optimism

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This  tool helps one assess their optimism level. This version is pretty basic but brought to my attention certain thought patterns that can alert me to my level of optimism. See PDF link below:

http://www.midss.org/sites/default/files/lot-r.pdf

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9 WAYS OLYMPIANS DEVELOP RESILIENCEHow important is resilience? Research suggests that the ability to persevere and overcome setbacks is a key component in helping Olympic champions achieve their goals. But is it something that can be taught? And if so, can we apply the same sort of principles to help other people (such as students and businessmen/women) to develop a more resilient mindset?A HOT TOPICResilience is becoming an ever increasing hot topic in the media. Terms like ‘grit’, ‘resilience’ and ‘persistence’ are becoming more and more common. Politicians are keen for schools to improve student resilience. Others aren't as keen on this as they worry that students won't want to ask for help for fear of looking weak. However, a recent study found that this is often not the case, with resilient students adopting positive behaviours to help them cope with stress and another recent study finding that resilience and self-regulation are closely linked. Indeed, asking for help is a strategy that many resilient people use (as discussed below).GRIT VS. RESILIENCEGrit, which is a perseverance and passion for a long term goal, has been linked to success in a diverse range of settings, which include student grades, military training and even in national spelling competitions. But can grit be taught? Angela Duckworth, the leading researcher in this field, says it probably can, but that the research isn’t there just yet to tell us how to do so.The Sutton Trust highlights the difference between grit and resilience, noting that resilience includes a ‘positive adaption despite the presence of risk’. Although it may be too early to conclude how best to develop grit, a lot more is known about resilience, especially in elite athletes. Could we learn from the lessons in sport and apply them to other walks of life?OLYMPIC RESILIENCEResearch fellow Dr Mustafa Sarkar has spent a lot of time studying mental resilience in Olympic Champions. Many of the elite athletes he has interviewed cite the importance of resilience in their success, noting that the path to gold medals is rarely straight forward and simple. Based on his research, he has suggested several ways that Olympic champions developed resilience.We have highlighted 9 of them here: 9 Ways Olympic Champions Develop Resilience infographicDevelop a positive personality – For the Olympians, this included being open to new experiences, being optimistic, competitive and conscientious, as well as being proactive.View your decisions as active choices not sacrifices – This helps maintain a sense of control over the situation. This will also keep intrinsic motivation high.Use support available to you from other people – Seek out people who can help you. This can include technical advice on what you are doing, or just social support to make you feel better when times are tough.Identify your motivation for succeeding – Identify what’s important to you. This will help keep you motivated and determined, especially when you have had a setback or your goal seems far away.Focus on personal development – Don’t spend too much time comparing yourself to others. This can increase stress and the fear of failure. As the director Baz Luhrmann says, ‘the race is long, and in the end, only with yourself.’View setbacks as opportunities for growth – Ask yourself what you have learnt and what you would do differently next time. These sorts of questions can help improve your metacognition and growth mindset as well as resilience.Strengthen your confidence from a range of sources – Drawing on a range of sources can make your confidence more robust. This can include your preparation, your previous successes or the faith that other people have in your ability.Take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings and behaviours – Avoid the temptation of playing the blame game. Externalising all your problems may protect your self-image for a little while, but is unlikely to help you get better in the long run.Concentrate on what you can control – Focus on what you can control, not on what you can’t change or can only influence. This means focusing on the process, not the outcome.CAN THIS APPLY TO EVERYONE?So there are the 9 ways that Olympians develop resilience. But can we apply these lessons to other areas of life? Maybe. In a different study on the resilience of high achievers, which included successful people from sport, business, law enforcement, medicine, media, education and politics, many of these 9 tips are mentioned as being key to their resilience.A lot of the people in these studies may have already been very motivated to succeed. These 9 tips would have helped them along the way. We can’t necessarily apply these tips to everyone and expect them to be high-achieving super-successful resilient individuals; however, for some, especially those who are motivated or who have a clear goal, these tips could be a very helpful guide along the way to them developing mental resilience.Developing a growth mindset is a great way of improving resilience, find out more about it here.We would like to thank Mustafa Sarkar for sending us many of his journals to read, as well as helping us accurately reflect his work. If you are interested in resilience, we strongly recommend following him on Twitter: @MusSarkar

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9 WAYS OLYMPIANS DEVELOP RESILIENCEHow important is resilience? Research suggests that the ability to persevere and overcome setbacks is a key component in helping Olympic champions achieve their goals. But is it something that can be taught? And if so, can we apply the same sort of principles to help other people (such as students and businessmen/women) to develop a more resilient mindset?A HOT TOPICResilience is becoming an ever increasing hot topic in the media. Terms like ‘grit’, ‘resilience’ and ‘persistence’ are becoming more and more common. Politicians are keen for schools to improve student resilience. Others aren't as keen on this as they worry that students won't want to ask for help for fear of looking weak. However, a recent study found that this is often not the case, with resilient students adopting positive behaviours to help them cope with stress and another recent study finding that resilience and self-regulation are closely linked. Indeed, asking for help is a strategy that many resilient people use (as discussed below).GRIT VS. RESILIENCEGrit, which is a perseverance and passion for a long term goal, has been linked to success in a diverse range of settings, which include student grades, military training and even in national spelling competitions. But can grit be taught? Angela Duckworth, the leading researcher in this field, says it probably can, but that the research isn’t there just yet to tell us how to do so.The Sutton Trust highlights the difference between grit and resilience, noting that resilience includes a ‘positive adaption despite the presence of risk’. Although it may be too early to conclude how best to develop grit, a lot more is known about resilience, especially in elite athletes. Could we learn from the lessons in sport and apply them to other walks of life?OLYMPIC RESILIENCEResearch fellow Dr Mustafa Sarkar has spent a lot of time studying mental resilience in Olympic Champions. Many of the elite athletes he has interviewed cite the importance of resilience in their success, noting that the path to gold medals is rarely straight forward and simple. Based on his research, he has suggested several ways that Olympic champions developed resilience.We have highlighted 9 of them here: 9 Ways Olympic Champions Develop Resilience infographicDevelop a positive personality – For the Olympians, this included being open to new experiences, being optimistic, competitive and conscientious, as well as being proactive.View your decisions as active choices not sacrifices – This helps maintain a sense of control over the situation. This will also keep intrinsic motivation high.Use support available to you from other people – Seek out people who can help you. This can include technical advice on what you are doing, or just social support to make you feel better when times are tough.Identify your motivation for succeeding – Identify what’s important to you. This will help keep you motivated and determined, especially when you have had a setback or your goal seems far away.Focus on personal development – Don’t spend too much time comparing yourself to others. This can increase stress and the fear of failure. As the director Baz Luhrmann says, ‘the race is long, and in the end, only with yourself.’View setbacks as opportunities for growth – Ask yourself what you have learnt and what you would do differently next time. These sorts of questions can help improve your metacognition and growth mindset as well as resilience.Strengthen your confidence from a range of sources – Drawing on a range of sources can make your confidence more robust. This can include your preparation, your previous successes or the faith that other people have in your ability.Take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings and behaviours – Avoid the temptation of playing the blame game. Externalising all your problems may protect your self-image for a little while, but is unlikely to help you get better in the long run.Concentrate on what you can control – Focus on what you can control, not on what you can’t change or can only influence. This means focusing on the process, not the outcome.CAN THIS APPLY TO EVERYONE?So there are the 9 ways that Olympians develop resilience. But can we apply these lessons to other areas of life? Maybe. In a different study on the resilience of high achievers, which included successful people from sport, business, law enforcement, medicine, media, education and politics, many of these 9 tips are mentioned as being key to their resilience.A lot of the people in these studies may have already been very motivated to succeed. These 9 tips would have helped them along the way. We can’t necessarily apply these tips to everyone and expect them to be high-achieving super-successful resilient individuals; however, for some, especially those who are motivated or who have a clear goal, these tips could be a very helpful guide along the way to them developing mental resilience.Developing a growth mindset is a great way of improving resilience, find out more about it here.We would like to thank Mustafa Sarkar for sending us many of his journals to read, as well as helping us accurately reflect his work. If you are interested in resilience, we strongly recommend following him on Twitter: @MusSarkar

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The big question. The big debate. I think I agree with both of these guys??? How very "Alliance" of me!

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The big question. The big debate. I think I agree with both of these guys??? How very "Alliance" of me!

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Ravi Zacharias / John Piper — Why God Allows Evil To Exist!

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Marathon Runner Gets Rallied on by a Random Volunteer

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Emphasizes the importance of optimism, strong relationships, and maintaining a healthy mind and body.

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In the face of failure to reach a goal, we see things we cannot see when things go the way we hope.

One week ago, when my 16-year-old daughter swam her event in 1:15:97, she would miss qualifying for state by .97. Coming so close to achieving a goal she’d set for herself was crushing, but in that position, she learned things she could not know had she reached her goal.

In the midst of heartbreak, she learned that her three little cousins in Indiana thought she was going for the gold—that is who she is in their eyes.

She learned how assuring it feels to have an older teammate reach out and say she was in the exact same scenario the year before—and her time will come too.

She learned Arby’s roast beef & curly fries taste exceptionally good at 10pm and your mom is the person you want with you when you hurt.

She learned being an alternate is tough spot to be in, but being right up close to her team is where she would have wanted to be anyway.

She learned you can make really cool signs for teammates using pieces of candy as the words – like “Burst,” “Mint” and “Extra.”

Someone who witnessed both the devastating miss and the next-day return with colorful signs in hand, said this about Natalie:

“Even bigger than what she accomplished in setting a personal record was how quickly she moved from disappointment to lifting others up. That’s true triumph.”

For me, the one who witnessed the months and months of preparation and the coming up short by a fingernail, needed those words—not just for my daughter’s heartbreaks ahead, but also for my own. Maybe you need this too:

The question should not be: Will we be successful in achieving our goal?

A better question is: Are we able to move?

Are we able to move from disappointment to desire—desire to create a different outcome next time?

Are we able to move from letdown to belief—belief that our story is far from over?

Are we able to move from fear to strength—strength we don’t know we have until we must dig deep to find it?

Are we able to move from resentment to gratitude—gratitude for those who stand by us, no matter the result?

Are we able to move from self-centeredness to connection—connection that comes from recognizing someone is experiencing a similar struggle and extending our hand?

When we “fail” to reach a goal, it’s so easy to focus on the loss, but we mustn’t lose sight of the gain—the muscles of resilience that are born from a place of adversity. The true indicator of success is not flashy. In fact, it’s barely visible to the human eye. It so small, we often overlook it. Please look for it next time you get knocked down. That movement has you standing back up, walking back in, even cheering people on when it would be easier just to stay down in despair.

© Rachel Macy Stafford 2020

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The Science of Change- Neuroplasticity

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A major factor inhibiting resilience is un-forgiveness and the inability or unwillingness to let go of the past. This is a piece I shaped a few years ago for my own review whenever I found myself investing energy and focus and time on past hurts.

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Tolkien's picture of Faith and Hope in adversity.

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Tolkien's picture of Faith and Hope in adversity.

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In the last book of the Lord of the Rings series, Samwise Gamgee is trudging through Mordor with Frodo.  Death and dust surround them and they have lost sight of what they are working toward when Sam happens to look up:

"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."

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Perhaps . . . some thoughts from the HBR book On Mental Toughness.

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Rick Lawrence has written a book entitled Spiritual Grit: A Journey Into Endurance, Character, Confidence, and Hope. He has provided an assessment that is available on-line. Here it is...

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Discover your spiritual grit level in less than two minutes through these 12 questions! You'll receive your automatic grit score at the end, plus personalized tips for growing your grit.

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"Do the next right thing" is the chorus to this song about loss, darkness, and the strength to go on. Sounds a lot like Kidder's definition of moral courage. (S&C p. 96).

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Kristen Bell - The Next Right Thing (From "Frozen 2"/Lyric Video)

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Ted Talk on the science behind how stress can be good for us.  

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Ted Talk on the science behind how stress can be good for us.  

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Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.

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Bob Goff Podcast on Resilience in Setbacks

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Bob Goff Podcast on Resilience in Setbacks

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In life you will face setbacks of many kinds, especially when you declare that you're going to pursue your big dreams. You don't need to be surprised but you do need to be prepared. Will you get overwhelmed? Stuck? Frozen? Angry? Depressed?

Fundamentally, how you respond to setbacks and challenges will determine if you have what it takes to accomplish big things in life. Make sure you have some wise friends who love you and tell you the truth, and a clear dedication to what's setting your heart on fire. Just keep going!

In this week's episode Bob and Scott dig in to the setbacks they've faced as they pursue big dreams and talk about what it takes to become someone who keeps going no matter what.

This month we also have a free resource giveaway you can easily download to help you learn how to face setbacks like a boss..

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Also on the episode:

Engineer : Jackson Carpenter

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018 Bob Goff -- Expect Setbacks - Dream Big Framework

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In life you will face setbacks of many kinds, especially when you declare that you're going to pursue your big dreams. You don't need to be surprised but you do need to be prepared. Will you get overwhelmed? Stuck? Frozen? Angry? Depressed? Fundamentally, how you respond to setbacks and c

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A brief and helpful explanation of the Trolley Problem discussed in Southwick & Charney Chpt 4.

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Would you sacrifice one person to save five? - Eleanor Nelsen

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Mom keeps on fighting because of her baby daughter

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Mom keeps on fighting because of her baby daughter

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fight for a reason

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A 26- year-old mom gives birth to her first baby-3 weeks later doctors give her a devastating 😢

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How Failure cultivates Resilience

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In his research for NASA, clinical psychologist Raphael Rose discovered that failure is key to creating resilience. He explains how leaning into trials and setbacks builds the emotional callouses that help us value what's good in life.

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Lesssons in Resilience: The Stories We Tell and Why They Matter.

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Lesssons in Resilience: The Stories We Tell and Why They Matter.

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Have you ever wondered what makes it easier for some to bounce back after a tragedy than others? Or why hundreds facing the same life-changing event wind up on drastically different paths? Imagine a young woman whose childhood was rife with trauma: perhaps she grew up in impoverished conditions, where she experienced chronic abuse, and lacked a proper support system. Now imagine this same young woman went on to earn an advanced degree and developed a nonprofit organization to help youth living in poverty.

Though not often so cut and dried, stories like this are not uncommon. But unfortunately, neither are their counterparts. Imagine this woman had a sister, who began using drugs at an early age, and struggled with addiction and homelessness throughout her life. What about these two women led them to have such strongly contrasting outcomes?

The answer lies not only in the development of resilience in its many forms, but in our personal narratives, or the stories we tell ourselves. Each of these concepts has tremendous impact on the shape our lives take, and what differentiates those who bounce back from those who never fully recover. Let's unpack them, one by one.

Resilience has taken on many meanings throughout its long history, but scientists who study stress and resilience say it's helpful to think of it as an emotional muscle that can be strengthened at any time. The American Psychological Association defines resilience as, "the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress - such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors". Resilience is not a trait that is either present or absent, but consists of behaviors, thoughts, and actions that experts agree can be learned and developed by anyone. It's therefore not our exposure to potentially traumatic events that determines later functioning, but how we respond to them.

Resilience has been historically difficult to measure, largely because it emerges, or fails to do so, only in the presence of adversity. If you've been fortunate enough to face few challenges or obstacles, it may be difficult to gauge just how resilient you are. Furthermore, the types of stressors we experience vary widely, in both duration and intensity. While the intensity of acute stressors, such as experiencing or witnessing a violent crime, is often high, more chronic stressors may produce less stress, but their cumulative impact is far greater.

So just how can you strengthen your resilience muscle? Having a loving and caring support system, both in and outside the family, is one of the key components, or protective factors, in building resilience; as are maintaining a positive view of yourself and your surroundings, the ability to manage intense feelings and impulses, problem-solving and communication skills, and the capacity to develop realistic plans and see them through.

Another well-researched protective factor is maintaining an internal locus of control, or believing that you, rather than your life circumstances, impact your successes. In fact, a more internal locus of control is tied to perceiving less stress and performing better, while shifting from an external to an internal locus results in improvements in psychological well-being and work performance.

Building resilience is not a one-size-fits-all journey, but unique to each person's personal identity and development, and may hinge on one's cultural practices and beliefs. Therefore, it's important to understand that not all approaches work for everyone. Similarly, as not all individuals respond the same way to a traumatic event, the strategies they adopt will vary depending on their given response style.

Some common strategies for building resilience include: establishing strong social ties within your family, circle of friends, or community; accepting change as a natural part of life; viewing crises as obstacles to be surmounted; seeking opportunities for self-discovery; and taking care of yourself through engaging in activities you enjoy and find relaxing.

While ruminating on negative experiences is often not adaptive, you can use these experiences to gain insight into the strategies for building resilience that have been most helpful in the past. You might ask yourself, what kind of events have been most stressful for me; what have I learned about myself and my interactions with others during these times; what has helped me feel hopeful about the future; and, how have I been able to overcome obstacles before?

It's helpful to keep in mind that resilience can be developed or strengthened at any point in one's life, and is not out of the ordinary. Most individuals demonstrate extraordinary measures of courage, flexibility, and adaptation in the face of extreme setbacks or difficulties. If you've struggled to rebuild after a life-altering event, that doesn't mean that you'll continue to struggle in the future. Moreover, the traits exhibited in children who are resilient will likely look different from those in resilient adolescents or adults. By mid-life, for instance, you will undoubtedly have more events on which to reflect than a child of 5 or 6 might.

We can all learn something from resilient children, who tend to use whatever skills they have to their advantage. In a study published in 1989 that followed a group of 689 children over 32 years, these children were also shown to demonstrate a high level of autonomy, independence, and openness to new experiences.

It's adults, however, that have an advantage in demonstrating a capacity to write, and rewrite, their life stories. One's life story is not simply a rehashing of events and experiences of one's life, but something far more profound: it's a sort of retelling based on how such events are incorporated internally, pieced apart, and woven back together to make meaning. They become incorporated into our identities, a living piece of art that is significant not just for what it includes, but for how and with whom it is shared.

"A life story doesn't just say what happened, it says why it was important, what it means for who the person is, for who they'll become, and for what happens next," writes Julie Beck. Crafting our life story is hardly an easy task. Rarely do our lives unfold in the typical narrative fashion, with a beginning, climax, and happy ending. Instead, our lives are often messy and unpredictable, and leave us longing for the logical progression a good story follows.

Yet stories can help us make sense of our existence, and instill a sense of order in the midst of unanswered questions and inevitable chaos. You may craft a narrative around your work life, your romantic relationship, your role as a parent, and your spiritual relationship. These narratives might simultaneously converge with and contradict one another, while revealing fundamental truths about the self.

Our stories are influenced not only by the details of which they're composed, but by the way we tell them to others. We may recount a story differently to a close friend than to our boss, or around the dinner table than during a job interview. This not only impacts the way we remember them, but retelling our stories serves to reinforce them and strengthen their salience in our lives.

Culture, too, plays a significant role in the types of stories we tell. For instance, in a culture that values independence, education, and financial success, our narratives will tend to reflect that. Conversely, when our stories fail to adhere to such values, we may feel a sense of personal loss or inadequacy.

Two story themes in particular - agency, or a sense of control over your life, and feeling like you have a good support network - tend to correlate with better well-being. In a longitudinal study of 47 adults, increased agency appeared in participants' stories before well-being improved, suggesting that a sense of agency was a driving force behind gains made.

But how accurate are the stories we tell ourselves and others? Biases, personality differences, and emotions all influence the way we perceive and interpret events. Experts say that it's not necessarily the accuracy of our stories that matters, but the deeper meaning they evoke. '"What really matters is whether people are making something meaningful and coherent out of what happened. Any creation of a narrative is a bit of a lie. And some lies have enough truth,"' says Monisha Pasupathi, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Utah.

As for the pieces of your life that don't fit neatly into your construed narrative, they're still worth including. Our stories are flexible, not fixed, and continually evolving. They're not intended to eliminate what doesn't fit, but to make room for it, and come to terms with it in a way that yields understanding, perhaps even comfort.

Story editing, or making small tweaks to your stories, can have profound benefits for emotional health. For instance, after performing poorly on a test, imagine a student telling himself, "I'm stupid." Now, imagine this student were to change his narrative to, "Everyone struggles on exams sometimes." Such a minor shift can have major implications on how this student views himself, his capacity to do well in school, and how he performs on future exams.

Expressive writing can help us gain new perspective on the challenges we face. Simply writing about a troubling event for 15 minutes each day for 4 days has been shown to decrease mental anguish, improve physical health, and increase work attendance. As you write about the troubling event, you begin to make sense of it, and can quiet the thoughts around it that consume your mind.

Similarly, a number of studies have shown that writing about oneself and one's experiences can improve mood disorders, symptoms among cancer patients, and health after a heart attack; it can also reduce doctor's visits and even boost memory. Some researchers believe that by writing and rewriting our life stories, we can alter our perceptions of ourselves, while addressing obstacles that stand in the way of better health. '"Writing forces people to reconstrue whatever is troubling them and find new meaning in it,"' says Timothy D. Wilson, a University of Virginia psychology professor.

If you're looking for help in rewriting your story, Tris Thorp of the Chopra Center suggests that you frame your future in the positive. You have a choice in how you interpret your life's circumstances. "You can choose to focus on the negative by looking at all that is wrong, which leads to more pain and suffering," Thorp writes, "or you can choose to look for what's right - to find the gifts or the opportunities - which leads to more potential, and more joy, happiness, and fulfillment." As you shift the way you think about your future, you begin to reimagine and rewrite your past.

We all have a story within us, that is continually reshaped by our struggles and victories, our tests and triumphs. We may not always choose how the plot of our life unfolds, but we can choose whether we see a tragedy as a beginning or an ending. We can choose how we stand up to our villains, and make peace with battles we've lost, and those we continue to fight. We can tell our stories in a way that empowers us, rather than diminishes our strengths. Most of all, we can use our stories for good, to lift ourselves up, and to help those around us who are still learning to stand, and stand again.
Writing Exercises: 1.Write a letter to your future self, and reflect on what you might tell yourself about your present struggles. Include how you overcame them, what the hardest part was, and how you've grown. 2. Write what you expect your future self will have learned from this chapter of your life, and how you can use this wisdom the next time you face a difficult situation. 3. Make a list of 5 ways you hope to strengthen your resilience muscle this year. Be specific. For instance, instead of writing "expand my social network", try "begin volunteering with my church group".
4. Think about one area of your life story you'd like to rewrite. Perhaps it revolves around a relationship, a loss, an experience from your childhood, or a present worry. Write 3 sentences that reflect your current narrative, and 3 sentences that reflect the new one. Write about a recent time when you exhibited resilience. What was the experience like for you? How would you describe it to a friend who is going through a difficult time?
Sources
The Road to Resilience, American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx
Life's Stories, by Julie Beck, The Atlantic/ 2015
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/08/life-stories-narrative-psychology-redemption-mental-health/400796/
How People Learn to Become Resilient, by Maria Konnikova, The New Yorker/ 2016 https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/the-secret-formula-for-resilience

Editing Your Life's Stories Can Create Happier Endings, by Lulu Miller, NPR/ 2014
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/01/01/258674011/editing-your-lifes-stories-can-create-happier-endings
Five Science-Backed Strategies to Build Resilience, by Kira M. Newman, Greater Good Magazine/ 2016
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_science_backed_strategies_to_build_resilience
How to Build Resilience in Midlife, by Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times/ 2017 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/well/mind/how-to-boost-resilience-in-midlife.html

Writing Your Way to Happiness, by Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times/ 2015
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/19/writing-your-way-to-happiness/
How to Rewrite Your Life Story, by Tris Thorp, The Chopra Center

https://chopra.com/articles/how-to-rewrite-your-life-story

Emily Rose Barr is a DailyGood volunteer and a light-hearted creative who finds joy in simple pleasures. With a background in social sciences, she has a heart for connecting with others and sharing in their stories. When she's not behind the lens or keyboard, Emily can be found hiking, ticking books off her to-read list (often with a cup of tea in hand), whipping up the best desserts, and playing with her sweet pup, Lyla. You can read more of Emily's works on her personal blog at ilyrose.org.

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Lessons in Resilience: The Stories We Tell and Why They Matter

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"Resilience has taken on many meanings throughout its long history, but scientists who study stress and resilience say it's helpful to think of it as an emotional muscle that can be strengthened at any time.

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The impact of resilience among older adults

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The impact of resilience among older adults

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Abstract

The purpose of this literature review was to provide an overview of resilience for the purpose of informing potential intervention designs that may benefit older adults. While numerous reviews have focused on various specific aspects of resilience, none have provided the necessary information required to design an effective resilience intervention. Research examining resilience suggests that older adults are capable of high resilience despite socioeconomic backgrounds, personal experiences, and declining health. Thus opportunities to inform interventions in this area exist. Research studies have identified the common mental, social, and physical characteristics associated with resilience. High resilience has also been significantly associated with positive outcomes, including successful aging, lower depression, and longevity. Interventions to enhance resilience within this population are warranted, but little evidence of success exists. Thus this review provides an overview of resilience that may aid in the design of resilience interventions for the often underserved population of older adults.

View Abstract

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The impact of resilience among older adults

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The purpose of this literature review was to provide an overview of resilience for the purpose of informing potential intervention designs that may benefit older adults. While numerous reviews have focused on various specific aspects of resilience, none have provided the necessary information required to design an effective resilience intervention.