Book 1, Post 2: Resilient

After browsing through our selection for Book 2, I decided to read “Resilient: How to grow an unshakable core of calm, strength, and happiness” by Rick Hanson. The title resonated with me, as I've been striving to become more resilient after facing numerous obstacles and personal challenges in the past year. Hanson writes this book through a scientific lens that is rooted in neuroscience and positive psychology. As a cognitive science major, I have taken numerous neuroscience and psychology classes at USC and this book immediately spoke to me. I hoped that Hanson would provide me with some insight on how to live my life with more inner peace.

In "Resilient," Hanson outlines strategies to develop twelve inner strengths designed to help us navigate life's challenges and cultivate resources like determination, self-worth, and kindness for handling adversity. As someone with a type A personality and an anxious attachment style, I often experience significant anxiety and unease in both my professional/academic life and personal relationships. I'm hoping this book will guide me in developing a more stable sense of calm, particularly during critical life crises.

From the initial chapters, I've learned that Hanson believes every individual has three fundamental needs: (1) safety, (2) satisfaction, (3) and connection. It’s important to understand that you deserve to have these needs met and you can develop the mental resources to meet them. I’m sure everyone experiences periods of emotional negativity and feelings such as frustration, disappointment, loneliness, hurt, and resentment. One thing that I’ve noticed about myself is that I often fixate on these negative experiences instead of learning from the positive ones. Even if 9 out 10 experiences are positive, I will still focus on the one negative. Hanson encourages us to be more aware of this negative bias and understand that it takes our brain an enormous amount of evidence to replace bad experiences with good ones. I think that by understanding this I can begin to develop a positive mindset whenever I face a new challenge. I’m excited to have more “ah ha” moments as I continue to read this book and learn more about myself.





 

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