Definition
We have used the word "resiliencies" to describe clusters of stength that are mobilized in the struggle with hardship. Our vocabulary of strengths includes seven resiliencies which are as follows:
Insight - asking tough questions and giving honest answers.
Independence - distancing emotionally and physically from the sources of trouble in one's life.
Relationships - making fulfilling connections to other people.
Initiative - taking charge of problems.
Creativity - using imagination and expressing oneself in art forms.
Humor - finding the comic in the tragic.
Morality - acting on the basis of an informed conscience.
Each of these seven resiliencies develops in phases, taking different forms in children, adolescents, and adults.
Diagramming the Seven Resiliencies
We have represented the resiliencies pictorially on a diagram that we call the resiliency mandala. A symbolic circle that stands for peace and order in the self, the mandala was identified by Carl Jung as a universal symbol.
A diagram of the resiliency mandala is shown below. We hope that you will find it a convenient tool for remembering and using the names of the seven resiliencies.
Practical Applications of Vocabulary of Strengths
We regard the seven resiliencies as tools to be used by teachers, clinicians, and prevention workers. They serve as a guide, or a kind of mental map to help you know where to look for strengths in the stories of youth that are laden with problems and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Each of the resiliencies is described and illustrated with case studies in The Resilient Self: How Survivor's of Troubled Families Rise Above Adversity (Villard, 1993). The resiliencies also organize the table of contents in The Struggle to be Strong: True Stories by Teens about Overcoming Tough Times and A Leader's Guide to the Struggle to be Strong: How to Foster Resilience in Teens
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... on the development of the resiliencies ... on ordering our "Qualities of a Winner" pocket-size cards with the resiliency mandala ... on our book The Resilient Self ... on our book The Struggle to be Strong: True Stories by Teens about Overcoming Tough Times ... on our book A Leader's Guide to the Struggle to be Strong: How to Foster Resilience in Teens ... Youth talk about each of the resiliencies on our Survivor's Pride video. You can listen to excerpts from the independence and humor sections. |