RESILIENCE2GO

Resilience has recently been considered "the concept" to keep up with the rapid development of digitization on both an organizational and personal level. However, what we find today as "the new concept" in countless books and professional journals reveals itself upon closer examination as an ancient disposition inherent in humans that we unfortunately let wither. Resilience is the power of getting up again and again, of letting go, and is as old as humanity itself. Originally coming from physics, the term describes the abilities of a material to absorb external pressure, deform to then return to its original shape. If we compare a bath sponge with a soda can as materials, it becomes immediately clear to us what this ability entails. If I press on the bath sponge, sit or stand on it, it deforms, but only as long as the external pressure persists. Afterwards, it immediately returns to its original form. I don't think I need to explain in detail what will happen if I sit on an empty soda can, step on it with my foot, or even just press it with my hand. I would crush it, and it would remain in that form - thus representing a low level of resilience. In psychology, the term became known mainly through a research study by the American psychologist Amy Werner. Werner observed all children born on the island of Kauai in 1955 for four years, collecting various parameters at a total of six measurement points. Special attention was paid to the 201 children who were already exposed to an increased developmental risk at birth. These were children who had a difficult start in life due to their social background, chronic poverty of the parents, low level of parental education, family disharmony, and also birth complications. One-third of these children developed into successful adults without any intervention from the researchers, still having numerous future plans at the time of the last measurement at the age of 40. Unfortunately, two-thirds did not develop as successfully and exhibited behavioral problems and even criminal behavior. The two most significant factors that Werner was able to show through the study were that, even though people grow up and develop differently in comparable environments, their innate resilience can be developed. **The Power from Within** Resilience can thus be described as an ability that enables us to compensate for or endure external or internal stress without being harmed. It is not a strength that was bestowed upon us at birth but rather a disposition that is present in each of us in various forms and can be actively strengthened. Since scientists have realized that people do not necessarily break down in crises but can also grow from them, efforts have been made to explore and promote this strength. However, it is not an easy task, as most people cannot describe this strength that resides within them, as I became aware during my years-long battle against my own cancer. On my 38th birthday, while our son Sebastian was celebrating his tenth, our twins Elisa and David their second birthday, I received the diagnosis of advanced-stage colon cancer. Over the following five years, I battled cancer twice, underwent 35 radiation therapies and several intensive chemotherapy sessions. In between, I had surgery on my groin and twice on my entire abdominal cavity, had a stoma created, and had my chest and later my neck opened in a hyperbaric chamber to remove all tumors and metastases. During this time, I experienced pain and suffering that I, looking back today, never thought possible. At my lowest point, I internally prayed to just be allowed to die. **The Ability of Resilience** But it turned out differently. I discovered within myself a strength that allowed me to endure this difficult time unscathed. I believe you already know what strength I discovered within me. It was the ability to get up again and keep going, to accept and let go of the highs and lows of my illness. It was the ability of resilience. Because that is exactly what resilience means. It is not about becoming invincible but about accepting the suffering, the challenges of life, and acknowledging them as part of life. No one, neither you, me, nor anyone else, can hit as hard as life itself. But it is not about how hard you can hit, but how hard life can hit you and yet you stay on your path. How much you can take and still keep going. An old dialogue between a Zen student and a Japanese Zen master describes this ability very aptly for me: "Master, how can I walk my path in this life as quickly as possible?" "Walk your path resolutely." "But, Master, there are so many obstacles and dangers on the path. What if I fall?" "Get up and keep going." "But, Master, what should I do if I fall again?" "Get up and keep going." I think resilience cannot be described more succinctly and to the point. You may wonder, "Is that possible? Is that realistic? Can it be done?" The answer to these questions is yes, yes, and again yes. Admittedly, it is not easy, and you must contribute something to develop this inner strength. After my cancer, I wanted to face a new challenge to close this chapter of my life. On my lucky day, it was a Friday the 13th, I set out on a journey that forced me to completely leave my comfort zone and test my resilience daily. I completed the most famous pilgrimage route in Europe, the Camino Frances with its 810 km, in just 21 days, seeking peace, strength, and clarity in the footsteps of the Apostle James, but finding a crowded path with tourists from all over the world. As a teacher, each day of this journey revealed to me the most beautiful but also challenging aspects of this path. Just as people from various countries embark on the journey on the Camino de Santiago, so do stoma patients embark on a journey into the unknown. What will happen to me, how will I cope, where will I find support? You can complete the Camino with the ability of resilience, just as you can navigate life with a stoma. But how does one become resilient, how can this ability be developed and enhanced? The first step lies in perceiving, that is, in recognizing the challenge. Without this step of recognition, the second step, acceptance, cannot follow. Only by accepting the situation as it is, do I have the opportunity to endure or initiate a change. Resilient people have an instinct to assess situations correctly. If there is a possibility to influence the situation, the problem, I must do so to bring about a change. If I have no way to influence the situation, the problem, I must accept what is. But this requires strength, energy - in other words, resilience, because enduring a situation consumes energy. In addition to this energy, as a stoma patient, you also need the right supplies in sufficient quantity on the Camino. So plan well so that your backpack does not become too heavy. Buen camino!