08/27/2025
Ricky,
Why in the world would I want to give up my organization's precious time to think about, discuss and practice ?
Well, sir/ma'am, I am so glad you asked. Let me share with you how resilience makes your teammates better and how that makes them better at the job.
This claim is supported by the likes of Auschwitz survivor and psychologist Viktor Frankl, American Psychological Association past president Dr. Martin Seligman and tech giant, philanthropist Bill Gates, the US Army, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Berkley, Yale, Stanford, not to mention the wisdom of the past from Buddha, Jesus, Marcus Arilieus, Gandhi.
In the words of distinguished Yale University psychology professor, Dr. Woo-Kyoung Ahn, “From both research that has stood the test of time as well as the latest research from the field”. Both new and old are very important, as stated by Narnia author and Oxford Don, C.S. Lewis, in God in the Dock, “read one old [book] one to every three new ones. A new book is still on its trial and the amateur is not in a position to judge it. It has to be tested against the great body of thought down the ages, and all its hidden implications. Books of the future would be just as good a corrective as the books of the past, but unfortunately, we cannot get at them.”
So, from the old and the new, here is WHY it would be of benefit to dedicate time to “Resilience Skills Training”.
Resilience:
• Optimism relates to good health and a long life. (Segerstrom (1998); Park (2014)
• Positive emotions initiate upward spirals toward emotional well-being. Individuals who achieve upward spirals enjoy improved emotional well-being & build their coping arsenal for handling future adversities. (Frederickson & Joiner, 2002; Aspinwall, 1998, 2001).
-Gratitude-
• Gratitude supports wellbeing amidst adversity, lessens mental health difficulties and fosters positivity. (Kumar, 2022)
• Gratitude can have a positive impact on motivation. (Nawa, 2021)
• Gratitude is an important element in positive emotions within positive psychology, has been linked to wellbeing, is positively associated with performance & organizational citizenship behavior. (Sekaja, 2022)
-Values-Based Goals-
• When goals are attached to values, the potential of achieving that goal is increased. (Ryan, 2000).
-Using Your Character Strengths-
• Deploying your highest strengths leads to more positive emotion, meaning, accomplishment and better relationships. (Seligman, 2011. P. 24.)
• Applying signature character strengths demonstrated positive effects on well-being, health and work behavior. (Huber, 2021)
-Reframing-
• When anyone makes you angry, it's actually your own thoughts that make you angry. Epictetus
• External events do not cause emotions and behaviors, but beliefs do (Sarracino, 2017).
• If you change your thinking, you will change your feeling and your behavior. (Ellis, 2010)
-Balancing Your Thinking-
• You can't make good decisions unless you have good information & can separate facts from opinion & speculation. (Colin Powell)
• Often our communication failures occur simply because we neglect to consider the other person’s perspective. (Ahn, 2022. P. 203).
-Celebrate Other-
• Celebrating another’s good news improves relationships and supportive social relationships are associated with longevity, less cognitive decline with aging, greater resistance to infectious disease, and better management of chronic illnesses. (Cohen, 2004; Holt-Lunstad, 2010; House, 1988)
-Mindfulness-
• Mindfulness meditation has been found to help reduce anxiety. (Hoge, 2022)
• Mindfulness builds confidence. (Nichtern, 2025)
• Mindfulness helps with concentration, distraction, and everyday stress. (Harvard University, 2024)
• Yoga increases grey matter and alters key networks in the brain and may improve mental health. (Aalst, 2020; Mathersul, 2024)
- Physical Fitness -
• Physical activity positively affects mental health. (Mahindru, 2023)
• The higher the positive emotion, the less the inflammation” (Seligman, Flourish, p. 200)
• Exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people just don't shoot their husbands." - (Woods, Legally Blonde, 2008)
• Avoiding fast and/or fried food reduces depression risk. (Fresán, 2019)
• Diet & Nutrition have significant effects on mood, happiness and mental well-being. (Adan, 2019; Dinan, 2018; Conner, 2017)
• Higher levels of positive affect, optimism, and well-being can lead to improved health behavior adherence and outcomes in patients with chronic illnesses like type-two diabetes. (Huffman, 2015)
• Insufficient sleep has an estimated economic impact of more than $411 billion each year in the US alone. (Sleep Foundation; Hafner, 2017)
• Links between sleep and depression are strong. (Nutt, 2022)
:)
Hope that helps!
rky
"HUG PPPL" -- Saint Paul
(Humility, Unifying, Gentle, Peaceful, Peacemaking, Patient, Loving)
United States Air Force
Longevity Consulting
