Last month, I was chatting with a colleague at the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency (MVAA) and he asked, “Have you heard about any resilience summits in Michigan?” “No, I haven’t. What have you heard?” “Nothing – and that’s a problem. People really need this support right now. Would Worldmaker consider hosting one this fall? We
It has been a slog. Planning (and replanning) an international symposium and service trip in Zimbabwe and South Africa through a global pandemic. The list of setbacks has been long, and what we’ve experienced reflects just a sliver of the direct impacts on the people themselves: Major hotel goes into receivership, causing reservations to go
The first step in managing influences is being aware of what they are and how they are impacting you. Let’s start here… how are you feeling about your virtual communication these days? Studies indicate that seeing yourself on screen while in conversation with others is negatively impacting some people’s mental health – and this is
In a recent NY Times Opinion titled, “The Losses We Share”, Meghan Markle candidly shares how she struggled to see how she would heal after experiencing a miscarriage. Weaving this loss with other life experiences, she came to an understanding that our collective path to healing begins by asking each other, “Are you OK?” and
Years ago, I interviewed Marci Shimoff upon the release of her book Happy for No Reason. Her story about interviewing a woman named CJ for her book has stayed with me ever since. CJ had been very depressed for 15 years. She’d had lupus, an autoimmune disorder. She was in a great deal of pain
Of all of the rich discussions at the National Summit on School Safety where I recently presented, it became apparent that there is a strong need for a broader discussion about how despite best intentions, we are undermining resilience with reactive crisis preparedness efforts. Building resilience is a process of increasing protective factors and decreasing
As part of the Resilience First Aid project, a 6-month pilot I developed for the National Resilience Institute to build community resiliency and better prepare for mass disruptions, we recently held a trauma and resilience training with my UK colleague, Lisa Cherry. At a Q&A session with Lisa, me and another resiliency specialist, one participant
My doctor said that I could not go for a walk for 30 days after surgery. I was annoyed. My body said it needed even longer.I listened… On an invitingly warm May evening, it finally was time for my first walk. A slow going stroll, but I could do it. As I walked down the
Earlier this year, I took down my website after being diagnosed with breast cancer, an unfortunate family tradition. I lost my mom to the disease when I was 22-years-old. My grandma, aunts, sister and niece also have braved this path before me. Who am I on the other side of recovering from treatment, finding a
“Humans are tribal beings, designed to give and receive help. We need each other in so many ways. If you are breathing, you are a helper.” — Mollie Marti Across the nation, we see communities full of compassionate people with a desire to make life a little easier for others. We also see many people feel
