"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome."
- Samuel Johnson

One of my friends sent me this lovely quote. It reminded me of the many risks and obstacles we face in life. We often are paralyzed to take the actions to make our lives more fulfilling, energized and joyful. Many of us are scared about the future and the word “change”. If we want to reduce the impact of negative stress in our lives, we have to be aware of how much we tend to take things personally that actually are not personal. We rush through life, meeting deadlines and missing out the fun aspects of our life, our loving relationships and the beauty around us. We literally shape our brain to run in this treadmill of more stress, anxiety and unhappiness.

Our brain is plastic – that means both the function and its structure can be changed quickly and permanently to become positive and joyful. Even a simple act of spending a few minutes with our loved ones, indulging in our favorite art activity or thinking of our last vacation has the ability to energize and relax us. We often wallow in self-pity and self-doubt and don’t fully realize our strengths and our inner resilient nature - having the capacity to bounce back when things go wrong, and ability to enjoy life even when we have pain, stress and challenges.
Science has shown us that these practices can shape our brain and enhance our well-being. Make time for these three important activities on a daily and weekly basis. These practices are as important as healthy eating and hydration in managing stress and building your resilience over time!

1. Physical Activity – Yes! If you are fond of your 60-90 minute yoga or dance class, more power to you! Recent research has shown even brisk walking 15-30 minutes daily promotes stress reduction and is good for your brain. Regular and moderate exercise is not only good to lose and control your body weight, it helps us change our brains to feel good and enjoy our lives.
2. Social circle – many of us we do have family and friends/ co-workers who appear to demotivate us or “suck” our happiness. We have a choice. I am not suggesting that we abandon these people. Look around and find family, friends and co-workers that are supportive, loving and positive. I have a list of uplifting and positive friends who get phone calls and emails regularly from me. I schedule walks and fun activities with local friends to energize me. I also support them in their challenges.

• Who supports you? Who do you support?
• What fun activities do you participate with your family and friends?
• What are your favorite volunteer activities?
• How do you play with your children/nieces/ nephews/ grandchildren?
• Do you indulge in random and anonymous acts of kindness?

1. Meditation & Mindfulness – You saw that coming! Didn’t you?! This is a blog on meditation and mindfulness. What did you expect? :-) Meditation and other contemplative practices are powerful ways to become aware and uncover our inner strength and resilience. Many people fear that meditation takes several months and years to master. Research shows that you get benefits within a few days and weeks of training. There is also a misconception that you have to meditate hours on a daily basis. Twelve to fifteen minute sessions of meditation, 3-5 times a week, have shown to improve attention and working memory among participations in meditation studies. Make time for gardening or just relaxing in a local park.

Combine these activities. Go to a meditation or yoga class with your best friend. Walking meditation in a local garden or labyrinth may be a beautiful break from your daily stress. Help out with a local 5k race. Most important – don’t just read this article. Share it with a friend or family member and spend time with them! Take Action! Now!

My friend Vicki created the beautiful CORE graphic for us! The acronym CORE serves as a reminder of the components of  Resilience: 
C –  5 Cs - Compassion, Courage, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking
O – Optimism and Hope
R – Resilience
E - Energy - healthy eating, meditation and physical activity



References

R J Davidson, B S McEwen, Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being Nat Neurosci. Apr 15, 2012; 15(5): 689–695.doi: 10.1038/nn.3093

Steve Paulson, Richard Davidson, Amishi Jha and Jon Kabat-Zinn Becoming conscious: the science of mindfulness, doi: 10.1111/nyas.12203 Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1303 (2013) 87–104

• Start small! Pin the calendar (see below) by your bedside or in your office
• Just write or repeat the blessing meditation 5 times. If you enjoy it, keep going.
• Mark your Calendar with a heart or star each day you complete this exercise.
• Do this challenge with a loved one and encourage one another!

“When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur. When you improve conditioning a little each day, eventually you have a big improvement in conditioning. Not tomorrow, not the next day, but eventually a big gain is made. Don’t look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens—and when it happens, it lasts.”
—John Wooden, one of the most successful coaches in the history of college basketball”

Each week, you mark the calendar at least 5 times a week, give yourself a reward.
Examples of non-food rewards – get a hug from your loved one, indulge in FB time, and watch a funny video, read a novel . . .
Be aware of the positive changes (however small) in your life as a result of this regular practice – calmer, happier and less stressed and acknowledge your efforts!
If you try other contemplative practices such as walking meditation, bible study, yoga or Tai Chi, mark the calendar!
Research shows that you are more likely to get a powerful positive habit in your life when you do it consistently and, in small steps rather than large chunks infrequently!

May I be happy and peaceful
May I be free from fear and suffering
May I live with love and compassion
May I fully awaken and be free
(You can repeat the phrases above with a blessing to people around you – May you be happy and peaceful...)

Reference
Maurer, Robert (2004): One small step can change your life : the kazen way, Workman