3 qualities of super resilient people

The formula for resilience? Hope, grit, and amnesia.

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  • Shaka Senghor spent 19 years in prison, seven years of which he was in solitary confinement – a punishment designed to drive a person crazy after 90 days.
  • In his most adverse moments, Senghor took inspiration from the memoirs of great minds, learning resiliency from their words and stories.
  • Resilience boils down to 3 ingredients: Optimism – you have to acknowledge it's a dark period with light at the end; resourcefulness – find aspects of your environment you can use to help you cope; and memory loss – stop replaying memories inside your head. It only holds you hostage.
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7 common traits of self-transcended people

Maslow's highest level on the hierarchy of needs.

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  • Self-transcendence is the final and oft forgotten peak of Maslow's pyramid.
  • Before transcending yourself, however, you need to be self-actualized.
  • The foundation of self-transcended people is caring for others and higher ideals.
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Researchers find how to add more "love hormone" to your relationships

A study looks at the chemistry of couples engaged in different activities.

Henri Leconte at art class. 2019. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
  • Leisure activities can help release more oxytocin, say researchers.
  • Oxytocin is a hormone linked to social and sexual interaction.
  • Couples who took art classes and played board games together released oxytocin.
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My childhood was deadly. Education saved me.

With encouragement from parents, a child can bloom in their education.

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  • In Igoye's native village, girls were often ridiculed on the basis of their sex. In her case, for example, boys would call her "prostitute" was she was still a chid at play. Also, the sexual exploitation of girls was not unheard of.
  • Igoye used their harassment, she says, as fuel to study, work hard, and become successful.
  • Another reason for her success, and why she advocates for female empowerment, is the encouragement she received from her father growing up. He would often tell her and her sister that they weren't "useless" and could amount to something.
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Tweak your brain chemistry toward happiness, purpose, meaning

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  • The body influences the mind: physical activity changes our brain chemistry.
  • More activity in the body, and therefore in the brain, reorients us toward happiness, purpose, and meaning.
  • Neuroplasticity suggests we can program ourselves to be more optimistic and hopeful.
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