Eva M. Selhub MD - Resilience For Dummies

Resilience For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021930166

ISBN 978-1-119-77341-2 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-77356-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-77364-1 (ebk)

1. Chapter 3

Life has a way of throwing people curveballs, and how they deal with these difficult situations can make or break their lives. It seems, now more than ever, that everyone is faced with uncertainty and challenging life experiences daily in the form of pandemics, terrorist threats, job layoffs, loss of loved ones, illness, or economic instability. And yet, despite such adversity, people adapt and keep going. In addition, some individuals are even able to move forward with richer, healthier, and more rewarding lives as a result of having struggled through hardship. Is this a unique trait?

Indeed, achieving resilience isnt an extraordinary ability; rather, its ordinary and ingrained in all of us. Humans are innately wired to adapt to difficulty. The key is to be able to tap into this wiring by developing behaviors, habits, and strategies that support us to thrive rather than dive. What is unique is that the path to resilience is different for everyone. Its a personal journey, and what works for one person may not work for another.

For this reason, this book is intended to help readers embark on their personal journey to resilience. The information within delves into a richer understanding of what constitutes resilience, the factors involved in becoming resilient, and the various strategies that can be used and developed to be able to adapt and thrive in the face of setbacks and challenges. You will find, I hope, that this book is filled with wisdom and guidance to help you cope with stress and difficulty so that you can find your way to enjoying a meaningful, happy, and healthy life.

When I was asked to write Resilience For Dummies, I was thrilled to have the chance to share with readers the knowledge and practical advice that I know can guide anyone to achieve optimal resilience. This book covers all the bases when it comes to learning about how to become resilient, whether it relates to health, relationships, career, or family life or enhancing your meditation practice or spirituality. It offers you insight, easy-to-follow instructions, scientific knowledge, practical tips, and time-honored wisdom. I truly believe that knowledge is power, and with practice comes more power. For this reason, the book is filled with do-it-yourself exercises that enable you to embody the knowledge so that it becomes reality.

The best thing about this book is that it is practical and applicable to life. Explore the book and feel free to read the chapters that appeal to you or read from cover to cover. Experiment with the exercises, and take time to reflect. Read it once or several times. Bring the words into practice as you see fit. Remember that achieving resilience is a process, and, hopefully, this book has timeless information that will serve you along the way.

When writing this book, I made the assumption that you, like many people I know, are trying to find ways to cope with the enormous amount of stress we all face in todays world. Foolishly or not, I assumed that you dont want to struggle anymore and that, instead, you want to learn how to find ways to thrive despite adversity and find your bliss in any mess you find yourself in. Perhaps you think you cant do it, but I believe that you can and if nothing else, I believe that you will enjoy reading, learning, and discovering that youre more resilient than you think.

Throughout this book, I use icons to draw your attention to particular kinds of information, exercises, or opportunities to reflect. Heres what they mean:

This icon alerts you to important insights, clarifications, or ways to do things better.