“NYC Hit with Huge Wave of Homeless,” “Brazilian Nightclub Fire: Like War Zone with Bodies Piled,” and “Coal Outputs Would Lock in Catastrophic Climate Change.” These, folks, are a few of the many depressing headlines that I have spotted in the news recently. And they have all been about conflict, misfortune, and disaster. There’s no doubt that it is a bit difficult to not be constantly bombarded with negativity in this day and age. But the real problem is that it serves as a challenge during our attempts to maintain our warrior spirit and remain solution-oriented in a world of constant fear, doubt, and disaster.
I often wonder how exactly we’ll instill that resilience in ourselves, where we’ll get it from, and how we’re going to maintain it. Of course, my logical side just chalks it all up to dopamine and serotonin. But, for the purpose of this article, my response is a little different.
As I look around, I see many of my fellow high school peers (including myself) being weighed down by little things, here and there – fluctuating grades, sports game losses, crazy teachers, competitive classmates, college rejection letters, etc. And, with that in mind, you can’t help but think how we’re going to stay positive during all the chaos that’s going on in the world. But there are some things out there that remind us that maintaining resilience isn’t impossible.
One of the main factors of resilience is flexibility. And in order to be able to persevere and overcome, you must be able to go with the flow. To expand this to an international level, take a look at the people of Bangladesh for inspiration. Instead of constantly worrying about things to come or getting hung up on circumstances, these people literally go with the flow. They farm an island for as long as they can, and when the river washes it away, they simply find a new one to farm. They don’t curse God, criticize Mother Nature, moan about their existence, or complain about their fate – they just go with the flow.
Now, if you are anything like me, you typically become flustered simply after taking a glance at your to-do list. But in those moments of agitation, I make sure to remind myself of the Bangladeshis. I tell myself to go down the list and take on one task at a time, instead of being overwhelmed by the list as a whole…which typically results in me carrying a conversation with myself like some sort of crazy person. “Sitara, c’mon now. You can do this bio homework! Look at the bright side: you need not worry about inhabiting countless small islands that appear for a time, disappear and then reappear somewhere else based on rainfall, floods, and the tides. Be thankful.”
The amazing thing is that, despite living in a tough and dynamic environment, the families still manage to raise crops and kids and build a successful life on the islands. Why? Because they also acquire another essential element of resilience: being prepared for change. The people of Bangladesh are always prepared for the changes they know will come. They don’t hope, wish, want, wait or live in fear. Instead, they just keep their possessions in order, and they are ready to move when they must; and, most importantly, they have a mindset that is prepared too. And whenever their form of an obstacle arrives, they are mentally and physically ready to succeed.
And what’s more? You don’t necessarily have to look at the other side of the world for inspiration. As a matter of fact, some of these optimistic examples of encouragement are actually present at our very own Harriton High School, and I have had a privilege of getting to know a few who have continued to impress me with their positive outlooks on life.
For talented senior, Jessica Herrmann, last year was her first as a member of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. During our discussion, Hermann recalled hearing stories about the Orchestra’s conductor and his infamously harsh temper; but she managed to avoid any such encounters by practicing often, listening to the conductor’s advice, not falling asleep during rehearsal, etc. This strategy worked out fine until one week – about three months into her career at PYO – when she absolutely could not find the time to practice her piece due to a schoolwork overload. As a result, she was not able to play her part during rehearsals and was thus subjected to a rather loud and incredibly unkind chastising from the conductor. One can easily imagine how humiliating this would have been, but Herrmann knew that she had done the best that she could considering the overall situation and did not allow herself to be torn down by the conductor’s criticism. She did not complain about her circumstances, she did not badmouth the conductor, and she refused to even consider quitting. According to Hermann, she was upset at first; but then, she took a step back to put it all in perspective and just practiced even more to make herself an even better musician.
Our Student Council Treasurer, Kai Chang, is also a pro at optimism. My discussion with Chang focused on those who he looked to for motivation in times of distress. Remembering the Holocaust presentation that he organized a year ago, Chang cites Joseph Kahn and Anthony Morrone as role models of true resilience and optimism. Joseph Kahn, a Holocaust survivor, used his experience of the past to promote the present-day fight against bullying. The struggles that he endured as a young man would have left many disheartened and broken, but Kahn did not give up on himself or on the world. His ability to adapt as well to seek a positive message makes him a champion for resilience. Anthony Morrone, an American liberator during WWII, was a man who witnessed incredibly cruel acts performed by man, against man. However, instead of being discouraged by these sights, he adapted and kept calm because he was aware that his assistance was required to abolish such behavior. He, too, uses his experiences as a starting point to conduct lessons on bullying. Being able to meet with these two incredible men definitely impacted Chang and his perspective on humankind. “For anyone to survive the Holocaust and remain positive about society, while promoting a related cause,” he stated, “is beyond words to me.” Chang makes sure to keep this inspiration close to his heart whenever he encounters obstacles of his own. He takes any event that can be perceived as a failure, and – with Morrone and Kahn in mind – is able to twist it into a way to make himself better in the future. “As time progresses, my relative slate will increase in longevity as the mistakes will decrease in size,” said Chang.
It is evident from those examples of optimism and resilience that negative feedback, lack of time, and work overloads cannot stop these unique individuals from excelling in their respective endeavors. They simply put things in perspective and move on. Whether it is from reading about societies’ optimistic views on life, or simply having the privilege of meeting a peer who manages to stay confident in the most dreadful situations, you realize that maintaining resilience and optimism is possible. People do it everyday.
These are the people that spark hope in everyone else. Learning about their extreme situations of resilience simply shows that you can fail a test and still work toward an A; you can lose a game and still work towards winning the next one; you can be deferred from one university but still be admitted into another excellent institution. But moreover, as a school, community, and generation, we will be able to go far with this sense of optimism. With this kind of positivity instilled in us all, you will be seeing headlines about cures for complex diseases and solutions for worldwide conflicts in a matter of a few years. All we need is optimism.
