Designed Resilience

Dr. Ron Lewis is a man with an impressive highlight reel - collegiate basketball player, published author, highly educated, and family man. But those accolades aren't what made him who he is today. It was the in-between, the day-to-day living, that honed Dr. Ron into the powerful speaker and teacher who dropped gems all over this conversation. And I know you won't want this to be the last time you hear from him, so be sure to connect with Dr. Ron at https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrsl/.

When lived experience builds a platform for empowerment, the resulting conversations are breathtaking, inspiring, and incredibly valuable. I had the honor of speaking with author and speaker Lawrence C. Harris, a youth empowerment speaker committed to sharing what he has learned on his own journey of healing, growth, and the pursuit of self actualization. If you want to learn more from Lawrence, you can connect with him in the following ways:

Power to the People: https://a.co/d/cN4QAwL

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kawrencec.empowers

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawrencecempowers

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@lawrencecempowers

Email: [email protected]

One statement in an interview today (which comes out next week - you won't want to miss it!) blew my mind. My guest said that when we ask if we are good enough, we are likely comparing ourselves to a perfect standard. What?!? Are you kidding me? But he's right. Being good enough is not a full statement and exploring the rest of the sentence will show you so much about yourself.

I haven't posted in 3 weeks for a variety of reasons including a bout of depression and work travel. I've been thinking whether or not I could consider myself resilient even though I was low and sad for nearly a week and a half. I decided that yes, I am still resilient, because resilience is not masking.

We know that resilience serves us in the extremes of life - providing stamina when things are great and moving fast as well as strength and tenacity when things are hard. But what about the between times? I believe resilience is just as valuable, but sometimes harder to come by while you wait. Here are some tips I've used to help me stay centered in the meantime.

Carol Dweck's iconic book Mindset taught me a lot about the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, as well as the implications of each. I believe that your mindset - whether fixed or growth - deeply affects your resilience.

Everyone of us, no matter how successful or talented or capable, has some story or belief that we use to self-sabotage or mess us up. Regardless of empirical proof, humans are wired to doubt ourselves. So first, I want you to know that's normal. And then I provide 3 true things you can cling to when you're starting to slide into self doubt.

As someone who has worked remotely for years, it's easy to just not go outside. Three specific experiences have shown me that there is great value in making an effort to get outside for my physical and emotional health. From reducing stress, to helping me be present, to recharging my energy, the outdoors is truly a gift to be enjoyed.

One of my favorite ways to grow and develop myself is through reading and I just finished a great book, Rich AF by the Rich BFF Vivian Tu, that I couldn't wait to tell you about. The book is packed with amazing information - I took pages of notes. In this video, I specifically talk about her recommendations for budgeting because budgeting is such a huge part of my Financial Stability.

More than a decade ago, I started using mirror work - talking to yourself in the mirror - to prepare for professional public speaking opportunities. Since then, I have been inspired to translate the confidence-building aspects of mirror work from my professional life into my personal life. It's helped me address limiting beliefs and build confidence in myself.