Those who have attended my conferences and workshops or who have received my Lunar Letters know I have explored different ways to overcome difficulty through my idea, “It’s the Bounce that Counts!”
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Recently, I met two people who have dedicated many years determining the characteristics of those who are able to overcome life’s most difficult situations. Their names are Dr. Al Siebert from the United States, author of The Resiliency Advantage and Dr. Claudia Riecken of Brasil, author of the book SobreViver: Instinto de Vencedor.
On Dr. Siebert’s brilliant suggestion, we have all exchanged books. I am delighted to have made their acquaintance. I am delighted by their dedication to a topic which has driven me with passion for many years.
Their investigation and means of approaching the subject of resiliency have shed new found light on ideas I have explored and had not quite been able to express with the same degree of clarity and precision. For example, I have sensed it is neither possible nor healthy to remain 100% positive all the time. To use the analogy I have shared with thousands of people, life is like a bouncing ball. Sometimes we are up and sometimes we are down.
Through their study and conversations with hundreds of people, Drs Siebert and Riecken confirm one of the best ways to surpass difficulty is not by merely maintaining a positive mental attitude. While this contradicts much of what we have been taught regarding a positive mental attitude, they have found those who are most flexible and able to overcome adversity are those who are able to see the reality of a difficult situation and all it implies. 
Dr. Siebert explains it is like having two faucets of water, one hot and one cold. While it is wonderful to bask in the warm water of a positive mental attitude and it can lead to empowering solutions, it is also necessary to take a “cold shower” every once in a while in the harsh reality of the situation, and then proceed with caution.
With the new found knowledge of Dr. Siebert’s and Dr. Riecken’s work, I have enhanced confidence and a plethora of new ideas to create a bounce across the Americas. I have confirmed it is not where we are at any given point in time in the cycle of life which matters most, rather our capacity to bounce back at least one more time because…
It’s the Bounce that Counts!
∞ Rob McBride ∞
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