filed in Daily Life
Resilience
Days after 9/11, I flew to New York to attend a film conference that had been scheduled a few blocks from Ground Zero. We considered cancelling the event, because even getting on a plane then felt like an act of bravery. About half the group showed up. Our hotel served as a staging area for first responders, so there were firefighters and police officers hustling through the lobby. Outside, the streets were alarmingly quiet, with a city cloaked in sadness. I stumbled onto a storefront that neighbors had turned into an ad hoc gallery, where they’d tacked soaring photos of Manhattan to the walls. In that burst of optimism and creativity, I knew New York City was going to be fine. Watching recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy, I think back to that moment. (Donate here.) And I’m reminded of it when my own spirit is lagging, and hope that resilience will carry me through.
Double Feature by Adrian Tomine
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There has been some interesting research lately examining the trait of resilience in humans. Those with greater resilience fare better, are happier, etc., even if they”ve had trauma befall them. Obvious, I know, but it really underscores how we as humans should work to develop this!
I think a lot of it boils down to stress management. I’m not sure if that’s related to temperament or learned behavior, but it seems to differ wildly from person to person.