Individual resilience
includes nuances that readiness does not.
Because I live in New Orleans, we
tend to think of readiness as Hurricane Preparedness. It is during this time
that we are constantly reminded of what we must do to be prepared if/when the
next big one comes. So for 6 months out of the year we prepare ourselves by
stocking our bottled water, canned foods and alternate lighting sources to be
READY!
But what happens the rest
of the year, or during the years that we don’t get a storm? This readiness
slips; until it moves from our center of attention to something that we should
be doing.
So I propose a new thought
of readiness, as FEMA and other organizations are now focusing on moving from
Readiness to Resilience. Each of us needs to create for ourselves the “Habit of
Resilience”.
As we all know, habits are
something that we do unconsciously. It is where our brains have the opportunity
to go on “autopilot”, thus the “habit of resiliency” becomes who we are, not
what we do. We need to incorporate into our daily lives certain behaviors that
will eventually lead to a habit.
So what are some of the
habits I have formed?
- Getting to know my neighbors. In knowing my neighbors, I now have a sense of belonging to a community of people and in case of any emergency, I can now know who is in need of any specialized assistance.
- Voting. By voting in all elections, I have a voice in my community on who and how we are governed.
- Volunteering. I have found that this is a great way to actively engage others while sharing the skill sets that I have.
These are just a few ideas
that I have incorporated. If you have any ideas or thoughts you would like to
share, please post them in the comments.
I look forward to hearing
from you!
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