Page 16 - Sept Oct 2015 flipbook

Resilience – The Force of Survival
by Teri McClanahan, MA
Within one 12 month period I faced several major life challenges:
• Diagnosis of Non Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Cyst on my pituitary gland resulting in
neurosurgery
• Napa Earthquake
• Bought a house
• Bought a car
• Lost my job
I remember lying in my bed the morning of the earthquake, August 24, 2014, about 3:20 am. It was during the final week of my medical leave after neurosurgery. The ceiling fan was on. I felt a jolt and opened my eyes to see the fan swinging. I lay in bed, watching the fan sway back and forth with only one thought in my mind, “Really God? You brought me through cancer and brain surgery only to chop off my head?” I just lay there. I could have rolled under the bed. But in those few seconds, I affirmed my destiny and simply waited my fate.
There are more articles, books and movies on survival than one could care to imagine. Survival is the daily act we practice to continue living. The attributes to survival are varied, and which ones are necessary
to ensure survival I think vary depending upon the situation. One of the most powerful is resilience
- having a positive attitude, optimism, ability to regulate emotions, and the ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback.
People often told me that I didn’t look like I had lived through all I did in one year. The key to my survival was and is always the same- I was blessed with an overdose of resilience.
How can you tap into resilience and ensure your survival, and indeed, “thrival”, when faced with major life challenges?
Here are some tips:
Maintain a positive outlook toward every challenge: Remove all negative influences from
your home – turn off the news! Look for the good in everything. Find your happy place and laugh at all the stupid stuff that happens!!
Remain Optimistic: Don’t give up hope. You never know what’s around the corner. Remember, once you put something in motion, the Universe will rise up to meet you.
Regulate Your Emotions: You are going to have bad days. Accept how and what you feel, identify the source of those feelings and address the root cause. Then find something to be grateful for and focus on that.
See failure as a form of helpful feedback:
Determine what you can learn from your failure
or setback and put it in place for future reference. Examine what appears to be “failure”, but don’t dwell there.
I have become a practitioner of resilience. I can’t say if its nature or nurture, but I can say that if you practice these tips with diligence, you will find your journey easier to navigate. But most of all, trust yourself and trust your journey.
Teri McClanahan, MA has a master’s degree in Psychology, is
a Certified Life Coach, and a practitioner and instructor of the Cancer Journey, Panic to Power coaching. She draws upon her personal experience as a cancer survivor and is committed to all survivors living lives of power, purpose and passion.
Teri offers private sessions by phone, online or in person, as well as Living Courageously workshops.
To schedule a free 30 minute session, contact Teri at 707-304-0679 transformingdailymoments@gmail.com or through her scheduler at: www.transformingdailymoments.org
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