KNOWLEDGE FORUM: Success and Motivation Trainer Andreas Herz on the "Mental Immune System"
New business, new company headquarters, new home, and 3 young children: At the age of 38, Styrian Andreas Herz wanted to really take off in life. But that's exactly when fate struck hard: Cancer diagnosis. On the upcoming 14th of September, Andreas Herz will be a guest at the Knowledge Forum in Bolzano. His topic: Resilience 4.0 - Resilience in the Digital World. Maria Cristina De Paoli: Mr. Herz, you will be speaking in Bolzano about resilience as the fuel of successful people. What does resilience actually mean?
Andreas Herz: The term resilience originally comes from science. Resilience is, for example, the ability of a material to return to its original state after deformation. In psychology, the word stands for mental resilience, for a kind of mental immune system that protects and strengthens us.
Maria Cristina De Paoli: In 2005, you received the diagnosis: Cancer in an advanced stage. What was your initial reaction?
Herz: My first thought was: Am I going to die now? Initially, the diagnosis completely knocked the ground out from under my feet. I felt like I was wrapped in cotton wool. There were days when I didn't want to live anymore because the pain was so intense and the chemo was so burdensome. But what was much more important was that I didn't get stuck in those depths and that I decided to see the illness as a challenge and to tackle it as such.
Maria Cristina De Paoli: When did you realize that, in addition to conventional medicine, you also had to contribute to your healing yourself?
Herz: I quickly knew that alongside the surgeries, chemo, and radiation therapy, I also had to take my illness and my life into my own hands. There was an inner voice that forced me to get up, move, and react. I also wanted to find a way to be able to draw on the strength of good moments even on bad days. I set up a retreat space in my house. I started meditating. I discovered Buddhism for myself. The treating doctors always supported me in this.
Maria Cristina De Paoli: In the 10 years of your illness, you experienced what it means to fall down and get back up again. Can such strength be developed without a severe stroke of fate?
Herz: Of course, strength can also be developed without experiencing a stroke of fate, which is actually the better option. Because one should not wait until some event wakes us up and forces us to act. It is much more sensible to grow from the daily things in life.
Maria Cristina De Paoli: You initially developed a training concept for yourself and now for your clients to bear what is necessary in life, as you put it. What is your strategy based on?
Herz: My favorite saying is: If the day was not a friend to you, then it was a teacher. We should learn to consciously perceive negative events and reflect on how we can best master this challenge with what inner attitude. And that's exactly what my training concept focuses on. It uses everyday things as examples. We can develop best from these small things in daily life, not from big, often unrealistic resolutions. I have experienced this myself.
Maria Cristina De Paoli: Are there daily and life situations where one can practice serenity particularly well?
Herz: There are quite classic situations for this, such as a kilometer-long traffic jam on the highway, the line at the bank counter, or waiting at the supermarket checkout. In such cases, one can get annoyed by the time lost and the boredom, or one can use them to consciously train the inner mind to remain calm - regardless of external influences.
Maria Cristina De Paoli: In your experience, can everyone really lead a happy life?
Herz: Of course, basic needs must be met, and these vary depending on the country of origin. But if the framework is right, then every person has the chance to lead a happy life. It just takes the right mental attitude. Unfortunately, we often focus too much on what we don't have rather than on what we do have. For a cancer patient, being able to have a cup of coffee is often already a small miracle. That's what matters. (mc)
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