SHARING RESILIENCE

Apparently, a friend's Siri called me by mistake this morning which led to a phone conversation long-overdue. Just-in-time though, I was able to refer her crib set donation to Silent Voices. This social service organization started as a ministry by Horizon Christian Fellowship to serve those struggling with unplanned pregnancies with both durable goods and counseling. 

Building resilience is important because it is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines it as "the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors."

Strong Women

I admire strong women and seek out their stories. Sheryl Roush speaks out against abuse when introducing herself in public speeches. Her book "Heart of a Toastmaster" is an anthology of stories I enjoy. 

Ann Curry tackled casual misogyny and in her Guideposts interview February 2010 asked whether we "care about people who have no one protecting them?" She was unexpectedly asked to leave NBC in 2012, but waited three years to reveal to both People Magazine and Country Living the Operation Bambi reason why. In Elle Magazine's September 2020 issue, Ann described wearing an armor of dignity while behaving like water between rocks especially in the current COViD-19 pandemic. That's quite deep...

In the recent Eastern Area Division Speech Contest, toastmaster Neil Bowman delivered the idea of stacking blocks. When faced with a reset, building blocks are the foundational skills we build on. Relying on her journalistic instincts, Ann Curry now pours her energy into smaller, self-directed projects, speaks at universities, contributes to National Geographic, and doing research for a book. 

Did you see Tamron Hall's interview today with Sheryl Sandberg regarding Facebook's anti-trust case? She argued that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cleared Facebook's purchase of WhatsApp and Instagram when both were small companies worthy of investment. Yep, another example of sending in a woman to clear the "competitive" air. A longer three-minute video is posted on Facebook, of course.

Mentorship

I recently watched Sheryl's TEDWomen 2010 speech entitled, "Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders." Her mentoring advice included: 

• Sit at the table and keep your hand raised— engage in opportunities to negotiate your own success.
• Make your partner a real partner— households with equal pay and responsibilities within a home also have half the divorce rate.
• Don't leave before you leave— your job must keep you rewarded and make you feel you are making a difference. 

Call me wisdom-seeker. Retooling a career needs a mentor who can challenge you to grow because they instill a love of learning, open-mindedness, and perspective. Let's prepare for the new year, shall we?