Today at the To Life! Women’s Health Conference I heard a great speaker: Rachel Sperry, MSW from the Devereux Center for Children’s Resilience. Rachel is a cancer survivor—diagnosed at 33 when she was a newlywed and in the thick of a new career. She talked about learning that although it feels like the bottom falls out when we are diagnosed with cancer, “there really isn’t a bottom there anyway”; we are always—even when well—living with uncertainty.
Her talk was inspiring and filled with insight and humor, and practical steps to build resilience in adults—with or without cancer. These are the ingredients for a resilience recipe:
Relationships--friends and/or family
Have a hobby or hobbies
Know you are loveable—if you don’t get the help and do the work to change that.
Have a mentor or guide—in life as well as in work
Take initiative—act on the world rather than let the world act on you. Speak up, say No; say Yes.
Develop or recognize healthy self-control—know your limits; set limits for yourself; learn how to calm yourself.
That’s just a tiny bit of Rachel's wisdom. Keep an eye out for Rachel Sperry speaking or presenting. I’ll certainly keep her events posted here for all of us.
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