Being resilient isn’t about avoiding misfortune, but rather how we respond to it. It means doing well in the face of risk or difficulties. Recently we’ve all needed to draw on our resilience. We all get tired from time to time, and the pandemic has used up the resilience ability of nearly everyone, at one time or another. Even if you consider yourself resilient, you may need a stronger power in especially hard times. 【小题1】

Develop relationships

Set up and maintain a support network before you need it. When difficulties strike, a supportive friend with good listening skills can have a great effect on you. 【小题2】

Find a sense of purpose

When somebody needs you, you just cope with stress that much better. Your sense of purpose doesn’t have to come from school or work. 【小题3】 Growing a backyard vegetable garden, cleaning up garbage in a neighborhood park and organizing a charity donation, to name but a few.

【小题4】

Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Take part in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body best to deal with situations that require resilience.

Don’t try to get rid of misfortune completely

【小题5】 However, our reactions to big problems may be informed partly by the many smaller setbacks we face in daily life. Everyday stress probably helps us learn how to address bigger challenges and gradually makes our adaptive systems the best.

Curious people are interested in the world around them and are full of questions. Being curious is an excellent way to expand your knowledge base, help you strengthen your relationships and improve your memory as well as health. 【小题1】 So why not take some steps to try to become curious?

Read widely. Choosing something you are already interested in makes it easy to start becoming curious. Reading is one of the best ways to widen your knowledge base. There are books on every topic, from politics to cooking and to gardening. Think about your interests and choose one to start learning about. 【小题2】

Start with the question. 【小题3】 That means that we spend most of our time focusing on finding a solution, and that we forget to acknowledge the importance of the question. If you want to become curious, take time to thoroughly consider and reflect on questions.

【小题4】 It means being more aware of your feelings and your surrounding. Try to become more conscious of curiosity. Make an effort to remind yourself to find something to spark (激发) your curiosity each day, The next time you see a movie, challenge yourself to find something new to look into.

Avoid routines. A set routine is considered an active enemy of curiosity. 【小题5】 In order to stimulate (刺激) curiosity, change things up a bit. Try to find a different way to do some of your daily tasks. For example, whether you walk or drive, take a different path. Chances are that you'll notice something new.

We can create learning moments that students remember forever if we open up our classrooms to awe and wonder.

Toward the end of my high school year, our Spanish teacher organized a trip to see an Andean band perform in Philadelphia. My classmates and I egged one another on ironically (讽刺地): Who could enjoy the show? The performers’ clothing seemed odd. The instruments, strange. But then the performers kicked in, dancing to their bombo and wancara drums around the stage and the panpipes and quena announced a kind of sound—new to us.

We had spent too little time discussing the culture of the Inca in social studies but its traditions came alive for us that evening. Once the wonderful performance lit up the stage and the hall filled up with music, my teenage cynicism disappeared. I rose out of my chair to dance with honest joy.

I have spent the last seven years living and working in South America. But my thirst for cultural exploration and a desire to understand the world outside my language and country has been alive longer than that. Sometimes I think that night dancing to those ancient rhythms unlocked this fascination. Why do I remember it so clearly decades later?

In his recent book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, psychology professor Dacher Keltner explains that “brief moments of awe are as good for your mind and body as anything you might do.” Besides being a memorable emotion, awe boosts curiosity, builds humility, helps with critical thinking, and makes people feel more connected. It even makes us happier. “Twenty years into teaching happiness,” Keltner writes about how to find deep happiness, “I have an answer: FIND AWE.”

Moving forward, let’s do our best to build instances of awe into our curriculum (课程). So when our former students approach us on the subway years later, they will recall the magical moments from their days spent in our classes.