Resilient: Timeless Book with A Simple Framework to Grow More Resilient
Psychologist and New York Times best-selling author Rick Hanson, Ph.D, provides a simple framework to answer the timeless question of how to grow more resilient. In his book Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness, Hanson breaks resilience into four categories:
- Recognizing
- Resourcing
- Regulating
- Relating
In addition, he further breaks down his framework into the three basic human needs of safety, satisfaction, and connection. Correspondingly, Hanson then takes these four categories and three human needs to explain the path to resilience through what he calls the 12 psychological resources.
- Compassion
- Mindfulness
- Learning
- Grit
- Gratitude
- Confidence
- Calm
- Motivation
- Intimacy
- Courage
- Aspiration
- Generosity
Each of these 12 psychological resources represent a chapter in the book. If you read this blog often, you won’t be surprised that my favorite chapter was on motivation. Hanson’s approach to using motivation to foster resilience is summed up nicely in this quote from the chapter:
Resilience is more than managing stress and pain and recovering from loss and trauma. People who are resilient are also able to pursue opportunities in the face of challenges. They are able to start doing things that are beneficial, to stop doing things that are harmful, and to keep on going day after day without getting too stressed about it.
Later in the chapter Hanson shares another nugget on motivation that dovetails nicely with the above point:
If you know your course is good, even if it is not immediately rewarding, stay with it. This is the essence of motivation: being able to sustain action based on knowing in the core of your being that you should do something.
All in all, Hanson does a great job throughout each chapter balancing timeless insights like these with activities you can practice as you read. These activities emphasize self-awareness, visualization, and reflection. If you are patient as you read this book and complete these activities, undoubtedly your time spent will be a beneficial investment.
In short, if you or someone you care about needs to grow more resilient, I highly recommend using this book as your starting point.