We are on holiday in Europe and during a lake cruise in Lucerne, on our way to the top of Mt. Rigi, we started chatting with a Brit who has become a Swiss citizen. Sitting with his little 7-year-old daughter in his lap, he told us that he thought Switzerland had the finest quality of life of anywhere he had been. When I asked him to explain further he told me that in Switzerland people just seem to take things...

Several years ago I was at the library looking for a book to check out when I noticed one written by Texas journalist Tim Madigan. I knew Tim from my time in Fort Worth, so I was intrigued. After picking it off the shelf, I saw that it was the story of his 8-year relationship with Fred Rogers of Mr. Roger’s fame, a beloved Pittsburgh icon and touchstone for tens of thousands of children. What a great way to bridge...

My friend Pam returned home from the beach late at night and immediately went outside to water her garden. Starting the sprinkler she returned inside to unpack and take care of other details. Soon she headed off to bed exhausted after the long drive home. At 6 AM she awoke with an “oh no” realization remembering she left the water running all night. She came downstairs to discover that not only was her garden flooded but so was her basement....

While life may throw her share of stress and challenges our way we also do a fine job of creating more adversity in our own lives than may be necessary. In meeting with some business-coaching clients this past week I heard things like “I’ve really have to attend all those meetings. I’m the only one who can understand all the facets of the business,” and “I don’t know how I am suppose to respond to 200 emails a day and...

Are you a morning exerciser or evening exerciser? In The Resilience Advantage I point out that, in many situations, people who exercise in the morning do so to get an extra burst of energy going for their day while folks who exercise in the evening often do so to blow off steam after a stressful day. Regardless of when you exercise, it is always good for you physically and for building your resilience. In a recent article in New York...

When we like to talk about skills associated with building resilience—creating the right mindset, building body wisdom, connecting with community, for many of us creating hope is often a default to dealing with our sometimes unbelievable challenges and adversities. This past Sunday, I attended a prayer vigil at Freedom Corner up in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Led by local ministers, community and elected leaders, and law enforcement officers, the speakers talked about the need to find a path to the cessation...