As my brother has done every December, the flowerpot arrived. Moss covered the dirt and the accompanying instructions said to put the pot in the sun and water sparingly. I always follow directions. However, as weeks passed and nothing happened, I began to lose hope. It reminded me how in these very disturbing times, when I see nothing much in a positive way, I too begin to lose hope. Then, finally, a shoot popped its head from the soil. Now—almost two months later—I have the most amazing amaryllis plant. It’s over two feet in height (three if you count the base of the pot). Right now, I have eight gorgeous red blossoms and another stalk promises at least three more. Every morning I marvel at this plant. And then I remind myself of the words of the philosopher Howard Zinn “To have hope, one does not need certainty. Only possibility.” We call her Phyllis Amaryllis. She’s my teacher on these days when it seems my efforts don’t bear fruition. I realize I just must keep “watering” my community and clients with compassion, kindness, and positive energy. What about you?

If you are an entrepreneur, if you work for yourself, or if you own a business, resiliency is not a nice-to-have. It is a requirement! The life of an entrepreneur requires you to maintain your elasticity in rough times. You need to bob and weave and expand within a constantly changing landscape. Unlike people employed by others, an entrepreneur is routinely faced with failures, changing circumstances, and opportunities that stretch our capacity. Our capacity to stretch, to adapt, is the foundation of resilience as entrepreneurs. When we become rubber bands, stretching to meet each new challenge, flexing with each failure, and maintaining our elasticity in the face of uncertainty, we become capable of growing through those inevitable moments instead of having to recover from them. So how do we build and maintain that elasticity? 1) Take care of yourself. Self-care is frequently at the core of the work I do with my clients. You cannot become the business owner and the leader that you want to be if you are not taking care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If you are always being stretched, always under stress without a chance for rest, you will wear out and begin to crack like a dried-out rubber band. 2) Maintain the integrity of your vision. There is a reason I use the rubber band analogy. Rubber bands return to their original shape when they are removed. You and your business must have a definite shape, a definite mission, and a vision for what you put into the world. Without those guiding principles, you will mold to fit any container and not be able to hold a shape of your own. Your vision becomes the north star for your business. It will shape and direct your actions. 3) Know your capacity. Every rubber band has a limit. Based on the size and thickness of the rubber band, there is a capacity that it can handle. You too have an upper limit. Know where that limit is so that you don’t snap. Know when you need to call on the aid of other “rubber bands”: your team, mentors, support system. This allows you in to accomplish a task that is outside of your personal capacity. 4) Cultivate elasticity. The best rubber bands are the stretchy ones. Actively cultivate stretchiness. Spend time daily thinking outside the box. Prioritize using your imagination. Cultivate a growth mindset. Practice being flexible with the people around you and with yourself. Ask yourself “does this really have to be done this way?” Create habits in your life that routinely increase your capacity to flex, routinely expand the edges of your comfort zone, routinely increase your range, routinely stretch you, and then allow you to relax. We build elasticity in the same way we build muscles or flexibility, gradually and with practice. Resilience is a required skill and capacity as a business owner. The world of entrepreneurship WILL stretch you. It’s not optional. Cultivate resilience so that you can adapt and stretch in the face of those inevitable challenges. Elizabeth Tollis is the founder and CEO of The Emerald Office. Her work emphasizes entrepreneurship as the path to intentionally designing a life that is good for you, for your family, for your community, and for the world. Her flagship coaching program, Full Focus, combines one-on-one coaching and group training to bring entrepreneurs exactly and only what they need in order to build businesses that support the life they want to live. Full Focus has members across the globe. You can find her at http://www.theemeraldoffice.com/.

Whether you are heading a Fortune 100 company or leading an enterprise of one, some time in the course of this year, you will be called upon to be resilient. Whether pushed by pain or pulled by possibilities, resiliency is now a required on-going life skill. This raises the question: why wait to develop resiliency skills? I believe in PREsilience™ (preemptive resilience). These are skills and actions that can be cultivated, developed, and taken BEFORE necessity strikes. Resilience is complex, multidimensional, personal as well as professional. Presilience™ is practicing now, building preemptive resources within yourself, your organization, and your world. Consider these taking three simple actions now to help you develop a resiliency muscle: 1. Develop a support network. These are people you can turn to for ideas, for moral support, and for truth telling. A support network is not comprised of “yes” folks but rather people who care enough to offer critical insights as well as critiques. In our personal lives, these are people who will bring food, watch the kids, and offer a shoulder. Support networks take time to grow and must be nurtured as carefully as a newly planted garden. Consider what happened to Mary, the vice president of marketing in a global company. Relationships took a backseat in her “get-the-job-done-take-no prisoners” mindset. When a new CEO took over, Mary found few in her department who would speak in her favor as the CEO looked for other personnel to fill Mary’s role. Ouch! Too late. 2. Hone the skill of intelligent optimism. Nothing drains our mental and physical energy more than negativity. Intelligent optimism is the practice of finding what is right or possible in a situation instead of what is wrong. It’s hard work because, for some unknown reasons, humans are more prone to negative thinking instead of positive. Consider teaming with an optimism partner, someone who will gently point out negative statements and visa versa. Unlike the Pollyanna of story fame, most of us are not hard-wired for optimism. But it can be developed. 3. Exercise regularly. This might sound trite but times of challenge or opportunity demand energy resources. It’s too late to build up reserves of muscle, blood, and bone if you have neglected your body for years. Firefighters have gym equipment in the firehouse and practice a steady regimen to improve their strength, so they are READY when called into action. You are no different. As Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts said of their “be prepared” motto: “The meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise.” Sounds like presilience to me! 4. Say thank you. Gratitude is the Miracle-Gro for resiliency. If you can end each day with writing down three things for which you are grateful, the germ of optimism sprouts and you reinforce your sense of self-worth. Some days, it might be gratitude that the day is over and you are still standing. Other days, you are grateful for a new idea, for a client interaction, for a great meal... you get the idea! To learn more about PREsilience™ check out my book "Your Resiliency GPS: A Guide for Growing through Life" at https://www.eileenmcdargh.com/your-resiliency-gps-book.

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.” ― James Clear, Atomic Habits Life can be stressful even under normal conditions but experiencing a worldwide pandemic for the past two years has made everything even more difficult and stressful. Practicing daily resiliency habits will help you build your resilience muscle and give you a feeling of control over your day. Use affirmations that resonate with you. They may sound silly at first, but you'll feel the results the more you use them. Exercise your body. Go for daily walks, practice yoga or workout at home or in a gym that practices social distancing. Practice gratitude. Even when it's hard you always have something to be grateful for. Dig deep and use a journal. Look for humor every day. There are many Facebook groups for humor or perhaps you like funny television shows or movies. Be nice. Smile at strangers, check in with a friend, buy someone a cup of coffee or offer to babysit for a friend. We are not born resilient—we cultivate resilience through repetition. Habits practiced regularly build inner strength and self-confidence. It's a great way to start a New Year!

I went through my blogs from the past few years to see what people enjoyed reading the most. I uncovered some gems and want to share them with you. 1. 5 COVID-19 POSITIVE Lessons A lot has been written about the lessons learned of individual resilience from our shared pandemic experience— usually, what not to do. But what about the reflections and good lessons for resilience we have gained as communities and as organizations? Let us share some reflections of collective resilience at UWC Costa Rica. Read Post 2. Resilience Goes Down - Not Out At a virtual meeting I suggested that the crazy world crafted by this pandemic might require us to pivot, to move out in other directions. My colleague,Stephen Shapiro, challenged my notion. Read Post 3. Promote Resilience with Adaptability Skills Security rests in adaptability. Our current uncertain times can either freeze us from action or create a space where we strengthen our ability to adapt. Remember, survival is based on "requisite variety". Read Post 4. Don’t Just Be an Issue Spotter. Be A Problem Solver. Plenty of issues abound such has how to keep a business open to how to stay safe, from how to engage employees to how to win customers back and more. Learn why it’s important to be a problem solver in addition to an issue spotter. Read Post 5. Loneliness Threatens Resilience Loneliness short-circuits any ability to grow through challenge or opportunity. Loneliness weakens an ability to be resilient as surely as it weakens one’s immune system. What can we do about it? Read Post I hope you enjoy reading these blog posts as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Pretty hard to holler out “Happy New Year” when my January in-person event just cancelled because of Covid concerns. Record snows are battering the Western U.S. and bowl games have been scratched while hate speech echoes in the halls of Congress. Optimistic? Hard to do when many news sources decide which stories deserve comment. Inevitably, disappointing and disturbing stories outnumber positive reports. Robert Hubbell, a prominent writer and news analyst, offers an alternative against the deluge of bad news. “The answer is perspective. And there is no better description of perspective than the essay by Carl Sagan about a photograph taken by Voyager I as it left the solar system. In that photograph, the Earth occupies a single pixel in a vast darkness. Sagan’s essay, A Pale Blue Dot, is an appropriate reflection on our place in the universe and deserves to be read out loud at family gatherings as we close the chapter on a challenging year. This year, Sagan’s essay is especially appropriate because of his call to protect Earth: "Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. . . . [T]his distant image of our tiny world underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known." That’s it! Perspective. Step back and realize that we can choose to make a commitment in 2022 to deal more kindly with each other and this planet. It’s not a Pollyanna sentiment. It’s how we’ll either live or die together. I’ve made my choice. What is yours?

I love this gift for the New Year: a business school that finally gets what the world really needs. In a move to prepare students for a drastically changing environment, the University of Redlands has announced the FIRST of its kind: a School of Business & Society. This is a strategic evolution to help future business leaders recognize social and ethical responsibilities, the health of the planet, and the relationship between commerce and well-being for all people. My granddaughter graduated from this California university and I have always been impressed with its intention to prepare students for a wide world. This is another positive movement in the right direction. Makes me wish I was college bound again. You can learn more at https://www.redlands.edu/study/schools-and-centers/business/

At this time of year, the Christian world thinks of the stable at Bethlehem and the birth of the Christ child. But there are other miracles in other stables… specifically the stables at The Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA. The Shea Center Founded in 1978 by Derek and Nancy Lewis for their 10-year-old cerebral palsy son, Michael, Shea is a therapeutic riding center that today is one of the most highly accredited centers in the nation. I had the wonderful opportunity to observe just one of their programs, Stars and Stripes, designed to help U.S. military service members with PTSD. This program offers an environment for healing through equine-assisted learning activities. As Winston Churchill proclaimed, “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person.” Dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities, children as young as two years old may participate in PT/OT/Speech services using equine movement. Children four years old and up participate in adaptive riding classes which help improve core stability and more. Shea currently has 210 clients per week, over 800 participants each year. The youngest is two and the oldest is 100! To serve this many, 428 volunteers and 28 full-time staff do everything possible to care for clients and horses. Physical and cognitive disabilities comprise 69 diagnoses seen each year at Shea. The top three diagnoses served are autism, genetic disorder, and cerebral palsy. Many clients speak their first word or take their first step at Shea. I call that a miracle. Volunteering at the Shea Center Why not participate in another miracle at a stable! Please visit their web site and if you are in the Orange County, California area, you might consider volunteering. I intend to be more involved for sure. Happy New Year to All!

“Men work hard but women work miracles”—Ricky Gervais What a statement from the fearless British comedian. It was in an interview he gave to AARP Magazine. (Yes—the guy is age 60!) His statement didn’t make me laugh—it made me think. How many women I know who perform incredible deeds of courage, tenacity, and caring while—often—hiding behind the scenes. I think of my tiny, stooped over Nana carrying huge wet baskets of wash from the basement to hang them outside on a clothesline, constantly cleaning the floors, and planting or reaping in her garden. There was Mom who managed to feed us all when money was tight, keep us calm and centered during hurricanes, and turned even a waterskiing mishap into an adventure. Or how about Sojourner Truth, a former slave, abolitionist and women’s rights activist who in 1851 delivered a speech that came to be known as “Ain’t I A Woman?” She helped recruit black troops for the Union Army. Consider Joan of Arc, Amelia Earhart, Indira Gandhi, Florence Nightingale, and even climate activist Greta Thunberg. Every one of them took a stance and worked miracles in their own way. Thanks, Ricky. I hadn’t thought much about it until I read your words.

I just finished presenting a closing keynote for about 350 health care professionals from across the United States. A fabulous group of dedicated nurses, doctors and allied professionals were gathered for the 21st Annual Healthcare Services Excellence Conference. To talk about Burnout to Breakthrough: Building Resilience to these folks in the face of the past 20 months of Covid was both intimidating and a privilege. We laughed, cried, and together discovered tools for surviving and thriving. The conference organizer, Custom Learning Systems from Calgary, Canada, demonstrated the most meaningful speaker gift. To honor my presentation, I was given a small folder which said, “we have funded a surgical restoration for one individual—36-year-old Jacob—through the efforts of Operation Eyesight.” I cried. So, listen up anyone who wants to say thank-you. None of us need a plaque, a trophy or a piece of paper. Give a gift that changes someone’s life. Now that’s a treasure beyond measure.

Goosebumps! That’s what it’s like to be the opening AND closing keynote speaker for TOP OF THE TABLE at the Million Dollar Roundtable on Amelia Island, FL this past October. Thanks, Tamra Martin, for sharing this picture with me. Otherwise, I might have thought I dreamt it. But there was even more magic on this barrier island besides an incredible audience. Forty-four years ago, on this very island, I met my amazing husband, Bill Elvins. Little did we know at the time, with Bill returning to California and I moving in with my sister in Los Angeles, that we’d find love and now mark 41 years of marital bliss. We had not been back to Amelia Island since 1978. Gratefully, Bill was able to come with me to the conference. What a joy to watch the sun AND moon come up over the Atlantic. I can’t get that in California. Ahh—but the second piece of magic was dancing barefoot, on the grass, while the waves crashed and the moon cast its pale light. I think the Island still holds a spell over us. And thanks, Top of the Table for making this magic happen again.

I recently met Ben Fox of Shepherd virtually and discussed creating a list of the best books for surviving (and thriving) in disruptive times. You will find it published at https://shepherd.com/best-books/for-surviving-and-thriving-in-disruptive-times. The Shepherd website is creating an experience that is like wandering around your favorite bookstore. It starts with an author discussing one of their books and includes little notes from the author pointing out their favorite books on one topic. Ben started Shepherd in celebration of reading, books, and the authors who make it all possible. My list includes the books Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Courageous Cultures: How to Build Teams of Micro-Innovators, Problem Solvers, and Customer Advocates by Karin Hurt and David Dye, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old by Parker J. Palmer and After the Shock: Getting You Back On the Road to Resilience When Crisis Hits You Head On by Becky Sansbury. I included information on why I chose each book and what I liked about it. Shepherd is a fascinating website. Samples of the many list topics are the best books on World War II, the best books for self-awareness, the best books on mythology and the best books on surfing. Be careful when you visit the website… you may lose track of time and find yourself reading lists for hours!