Floods, fires, famines, epidemics and disasters of all kinds are on the increase, and as their frequency rises so does the call for greater resilience. But what does that mean? The word is used differently in psychology, ecology, economics and engineering and runs the risk of becoming meaningless jargon. This would be most unfortunate because, if we are to successfully navigate very real and dangerous global trends, it is resilience that needs to be understood and fostered. Finding Resilience is international in scope and unravels how ecosystems, societies and people cope with disturbance and adversity. An authoritative but plain English account which is based on the experiences of researchers, the fascinating stories from around the world reveal what resilience is, how it works in different kinds of systems, how it is expressed, and how it can be gained and lost.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From authors of Lean In and Originals: a powerful, inspiring, and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build. Option B combines Sheryl’s personal insights with Adam’s eye-opening research on finding strength in the face of adversity. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. But Option B goes beyond Sheryl’s loss to explore how a broad range of people have overcome hardships including illness, job loss, sexual assault, natural disasters, and the violence of war. Their stories reveal the capacity of the human spirit to persevere . . . and to rediscover joy. Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to help her make the most of Option B. We all live some form of Option B. This book will help us all make the most of it.
Floods, fires, famines, epidemics and disasters of all kinds are on the increase, and as their frequency rises so does the call for greater resilience. But what does that mean? The word is used differently in psychology, ecology, economics and engineering and runs the risk of becoming meaningless jargon. This would be most unfortunate because, if we are to successfully navigate very real and dangerous global trends, it is resilience that needs to be understood and fostered. Finding Resilience is international in scope and unravels how ecosystems, societies and people cope with disturbance and adversity. An authoritative but plain English account which is based on the experiences of researchers, the fascinating stories from around the world reveal what resilience is, how it works in different kinds of systems, how it is expressed, and how it can be gained and lost.
A story of survival and hope in the face of a debilitating illness When thirteen-year-old Rachel Leland fell during a soccer game, she had no idea that her life was about to change forever. A seemingly simple injury to her wrist led to an outbreak of inexplicable, debilitating pain throughout her body, leaving her bedridden and needing a wheelchair. This set Rachel and her mother, Dorothy, on a quest to find relief from her agonizing symptoms. Refusing to accept the opinions of doctors who either claimed that she was “faking it” or that nothing could be done, Rachel at last found the underlying cause—chronic Lyme disease. Rachel and her family were forced into a wildly different reality of long-distance doctor appointments, battles with unsupportive school and healthcare systems, and daily doses of IV medications. Throughout the ordeal, Rachel’s mental health deteriorated as well, landing the teenager in a psychiatric hospital. Based on the journal Rachel kept during her years battling Lyme and depression, this raw memoir chronicles Rachel’s journey to becoming the strong, healthy woman she is today. Interspersed with Dorothy’s insights, Finding Resilience is an unflinchingly honest and inspiring account of the struggles and triumphs they experienced together.
What guides us when our world is changing? Discover the path to deeper meaning and purpose through depth psychology and classical thought. How did we get to this crossroads in history? And will we make it through—individually and as a species? “We all assumed that learning, rationality, and good intentions would prove enough to bring us to the promised land,” says Dr. James Hollis. “But they haven’t and won’t. Yet what we also do not recognize sufficiently is that this human animal is equipped for survival. In time, as we have seen of life’s other insolubles, we grow large enough to contain what threatened to destroy us.” Dr. Hollis’s readers know him as a penetrating thinker who brings profound insight and sophistication to the inner journey. In Living Between Worlds, he broadens his lens to encompass the relationship between our inner struggles and the rapidly shifting realities of modern human existence. You will learn to invoke the tools of depth psychology, classical literature, philosophy, dream work, and myth to gain access to the resources that supported our ancestors through their darkest hours. Through these paths of inner exploration, you will access your “locus of knowing”—an inner wellspring of deep resilience beyond the ego, always available to guide you back to the imperatives of your soul. Though many of the challenges of our times are unique, the path through for us, personally and collectively, will always rely on our measureless capacity for creativity, wisdom, and connection to a reality larger than ourselves. Here you will find no easy answers or pat reassurances. Yet within the pages of Living Between Worlds, you will encounter causes for hope. “We can find what supports us when nothing supports us,” Hollis teaches. “By bearing the unbearable, we go through the desert to arrive at a nurturing oasis we did not know was there.”
Make stress your ally in the pursuit of happiness and personal fulfillment. There’s no escaping stress. It appears on our doorstep uninvited in the shattering forms of death, divorce, or job loss. Stress even comes in the pleasant experiences of promotion, marriage, or a long-held wish fulfilled. So why do some people come out of a crisis feeling better than ever, and others never seem to bounce back? You will disover: • How to develop the 14 traits that will make you more resilient • Why “falling apart” is often the smartest step to take on the road to resilience • When the five-step plan for creative problem solving can help • What essential steps you can take to strengthen your body’s resilience • How to redefine your problem and restructure your pain to create a life you can handle, a life you can learn from and enjoy! Drawing on more than thirty years of case studies from his own psychiatric practice, Dr. Frederic Flach reveals the remarkable antidote to the destructive qualities of stress—physical, mental, and emotional resilience.
Imagine if we stopped trying to “manage” the stress in our workplaces and personal lives. What if we recognized, instead, that the challenges we face every day could actually make us stronger, smarter, and more successful. We wouldn’t feel victimized by the stress in our lives; with a change in how we view these challenges, we become capable of resolving them and winning the day. Global businesses, governments, and communities are profoundly changing their approaches to adversity and challenges. The Resilience Advantage reveals the techniques and methodology we all can apply in our workplaces and homes. Filled with professional and personal stories, pragmatic research, powerful case studies, and practical actionable tools, this book IS the formula to help each of us turn our challenges into our Resilience Advantage.
Life presents us all with challenges. Most of us at some point will be struck by major traumas such as the sudden death of a loved one, a debilitating disease, or a natural disaster. What differentiates us is how we respond. In this important book, three experts in trauma and resilience answer key questions such as What helps people adapt to life's most challenging situations?, How can you build up your own resilience?, and What do we know about the science of resilience? Combining cutting-edge scientific research with the personal experiences of individuals who have survived some of the most traumatic events imaginable, including the COVID-19 pandemic, this book provides a practical resource that can be used time and time again. The experts describe ten key resilience factors, including facing fear, optimism, and relying on role models, through the experiences and personal reflections of highly resilient survivors. Each resilience factor will help you to adapt and grow from stressful life events and will bring hope and inspiration for overcoming adversity.
Resilience is a crucial ingredient–perhaps the crucial ingredient–to a happy, healthy life. More than anything else, it's what determines how high we rise above what threatens to wear us down, from battling an illness, to bolstering a marriage, to carrying on after a national crisis. Everyone needs resilience, and now two expert psychologists share seven proven techniques for enhancing our capacity to weather even the cruelest setbacks. The science in The Resilience Factor takes an extraordinary leap from the research introduced in the bestselling Learned Optimism a decade ago. Just as hundreds of thousands of people were transformed by "flexible optimism," readers of this book will flourish, thanks to their enhanced ability to overcome obstacles of any kind. Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté are seasoned resilience coaches and, through practical methods and vivid anecdotes, they prove that resilience is not just an ability that we're born with and need to survive, but a skill that anyone can learn and improve in order to thrive. Readers will first complete the Resilience Questionnaire to determine their own innate levels of resilience. Then, the system at the heart of The Resilience Factor will teach them to: • Cast off harsh self-criticisms and negative self-images • Navigate through the fallout of any kind of crisis • Cope with grief and anxiety • Overcome obstacles in relationships, parenting, or on the job • Achieve greater physical health • Bolster optimism, take chances, and embrace life In light of the unprecedented challenges we've recently faced, there’s never been a greater need to boost our resilience. Without resorting to feel-good pap or quick-fix clichés, The Resilience Factor is self-help at its best, destined to become a classic in the genre.
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER *1 in 4 adolescents have a mental illness *1 in 7 primary school kids have a mental illness *1 in 5 adults will experience mental ill-health throughout the year *65% of adolescents do not seek help for mental illness Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation- despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many people found it hard to be happy, or suffered from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa. How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient? He set about finding the answer and in time came to recognise the key traits and behaviours these children possessed were gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. In the ensuing years Hugh threw himself into studying and sharing this revelation with the world through The Resilience Project, with his playful and unorthodox presentations which both entertain and inform. Now, with the same blend of humour, poignancy and clear-eyed insight that The Resilience Project has become renowned for, Hugh explains how we can all get the tools we need to live a happier and more fulfilling life. In this book you will discover- * Powerful and touching stories from people Hugh has met and helped during his years on the road spreading the message of resilience. * An exploration of the neuroscience of 'resilience' and how we can address it. * The crucial role of parents in helping raise happier children (and how to do it). 'Hilarious, inspiring and heartbreakingly vulnerable, this book has the potential to be life-changing' Missy Higgins
