Learning resilience

Jane Brody's column this week reviews the book The Power of Resilience by Dr. Robert Brooks and Dr. Sam Goldstein, both psychologists. A few thoughts on learning and practicing resilience:

[W]e should ask, "What is it that I can do differently to change the situation?" Identify your negative scripts and assume responsibility for changing them.

Nurture your self-esteem. Be true to yourself rather than trying to be what someone else expects of you. Focus on what you can do, tasks you can achieve, situations you can influence. Take an active role in your community or in an organization or activity that helps others.

Develop a new skill [....] Take a chance on change if jobs, habits or activities you've long pursued are no longer satisfying or efficient.

Change is frightening to people who lack resilience, but those who try it usually find that they land on their feet, and that fosters resilience. And if a new path does not seem to be working out well, change again.

Take a long, hard look at the people in your life and consider abandoning friends who drag you down or reinforce your negative scripts. [...]

Seek out activities that elevate your spiritual life and nurture your inner strength: for example, art, music, literature, religion, meditation, the great outdoors.

Much of this is what I think of when thinking about creating a life I enjoy. I did some of this sort of thing after college. The twist here is actively seeking change for the sake of practicing changing. That, for me, is a new idea. And an interesting one.

( Full article behind the cut )

Thought as I go off to dreamland...

I was raised to find my way
And I'm going to find my state of grace
- Patti Scialfa