Human Resilience

Life is like standing on a board on top of a ball.

Can you do all the stuff in life you need to, without falling so many times? You know you are going to fall, but what decisions do you make to help secure your BALANCE? What decisions do you make to help in the process of recovering? What decisions do you make to minimize the stress of worrying about it all? Who do you include?

An ounce prevention is worth a pound? Resilient people are you ready for the big unexpected? Sounds kind of silly when everything is okay. Well, that is how we have made it! The most important facts of life are being masked by things to take our focus off remaining balanced. But all is takes is one time and if you survive, that is one more thing to move up on your list of priorities.

These things ought to make you think and act accordingly.

Human resilience means what to you? Is it separate but equal? I really do not have time for such non-sense? People no longer have time or is that take the time?

Now, let's forget about the little falls, scraps and bruises and deal with the life threatening ones. The ones where expectations exceed what money, will and military might have been able to achieve. If you can not answer that call for yourselves, how can you answer that call for somebody else?

Everyone, every community, every where experience some type of traumatic event at some point or another in their lives, either directly and/or indirectly. These events are happening daily. People who are best able to react most efficient and effective to traumatic events, often stand the best chances of survival. Okay, you say, it not your problem, but just look at the problems "we" are experiencing just to get help to a people desperately in need of the basics, food, water, shelter, health care and transportation. No communications!

The aftershock. In the first few days, you're limited by manpower. Those who survive emerged from the ruins facing the responsibilities of taking care of "themselves", search-and-rescue teams are needed to hunt for signs of life, looting and violence occurs from pre-existing poverty and then; there is struggling with logistical problems during all the chaos and confusion. That is where the importance of "we" comes in. You will fight to the death when there is no hope of you receiving much needed help? Then, what good is help? Can you imagine your life being resigned to just praying and waiting? How long would you survive? How important is prayer?

The best practices of human resilience walk away from challenges feeling stronger and more confident from their experience. A resilient people can deal with the bad times as well as the good. Being prepared, especially for emergencies, response and recovery helps to increase human resilience. Resilience is at its’ best when implemented into regular routines.

As survivors, how serious do we take life? Overwhelming fear and desparation is the problem.

We force public places to have emergency plans, but we neglect our homes. Which is more important? Do we have that backwards?

Nothing fancy, but what about the basic policies, procedures and supplies? Isn't that life? Isn't that why we are all working?

Do you even ever think and act like a disaster will strike? Do you have any basic procedures established and posted in your home? Now, are they included in you community plan? Do you know the importance of letting others know your whereabouts? What about your community? We take a lot for granted. What good is having a neighbor, when they can’t help? How many people think of police, fire department, military, insurance companies when comes to saving them? It is always somebody else on which we are depending? That's okay, if you are included in the plan and practice.

In case of an emergency, and you had to evacuate your home, what would be the first thing you would grab? Does insurance policy come to mind? Remember, disasters come when you least expect, are life threatening and time sensitive. One little mistake can compromise your life and/or the lives of those around you. Are you for sure who is even in your home? Are you one of those who padlock yourself in? Do you double check before going to bed? What about your neighbor, are you friendly? Can you even depend on them to alert you, in case of an emergency? Emergency contact numbers where are they? Are you even knowledgeable enough to help others cope after an emergency? What about seniors and infants? Building codes? Where does everyone go? Who’s responsible? Alternate means of communications….

In my neighborhood, we live equal, but separate lives. I don’t know what’s going on on their side of the street and neither do they know about mine. Failing to plan is planning to fail. We plan for our emergencies to be on one side or the other and either way, they are going to say to hell with us. They have the keys to everything and we must stand in line. The truth of the matter is there is nothing said and no plan. Remember Katrina? What kind of resilient people are we?

Resilient means being responsible, you know bad days are coming, why set you and your family up for failure because you are too important and have no time. No, we can not be prepared for every emergency, but you can prepare for an emergency- overwhelming fear and desperation.

The good news It is a bit costly and time consuming or is it the way we should be living our daily lives? Resilient people, a stitch in time saves nine and that's nine lives you saved, one of which is your own.

Our means of taking a U.S. census could be much more meaningful.

your inner voice...Doing more Connecting more


LOVE IT but I do feel part of our resilience is common sense - and they don't teach that at school - it is learned within the family infrastructure and we all know this does not exist in many families these days - what can be done? perhaps a family mentoring program. I do believe if a program were to be introduced, we need to go "back to basics" including serving nutritional meals to the family, the importance of exercise, family bonding - family games nights, this is how we became who we are and we should pass this on to our children/grandchildren.

These are just my thoughts and I truly believe they need to be addressed.- S

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