Have you ever had one of those bad days that somehow downwardly spiraled into a bad week? We don’t have to look for bad things to happen, they just will. Since we all will face challenging times at some point, I am glad that I attended the Master Resilience Trainer (MRT) course. The 10-day MRT course is the foundation for teaching resilience skills to both Soldiers and civilians. The curriculum is based on materials developed by the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Resilience Program.
Master Resilience Training has equipped me to utilize the tools that I’ve learned to be resilient in the face of adversity. Resilience is built on the foundation of six competencies (self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, mental agility, strengths of character and connection) using fourteen skills. One of those fourteen skills is being able to capture the good things that happen to you each and every day. It’s called “Hunt the Good Stuff.” It’s a way to counter the negativity bias that most of us have a propensity to lean on.
When you hunt the good stuff, you write down three good things that happened to you today and reflect back on those things. While reflecting, focus on what this good thing means to you. When you do this on a regular basis, it forces you to notice and analyze what is good versus what is negative. Hunting the good stuff helps to reinforce the positive in our lives.
The benefits of hunting the good stuff are definitely reason enough to put this skill into practice. Hunting the good stuff promotes better sleep quality, better relationships, better health, feelings of calmness, lower depression, increased optimal performance, and fostering appreciation of the little things. When your day is done, I urge you to take time to reflect and jot down or discuss the good stuff of the day. Our lives can get a little hectic at times and we can become so busy that everyday memories and moments can be lost. Hunting the good stuff is something that you can share with your family. Make it part of your evening routine at home during dinner, for everyone to share their good stuff.
As you hunt for the eggs the bunny has left behind in the Lowcountry, hunting the good stuff should be quite easy. So I challenge each of you to try it. At the end of your day, recall and write down three good things that happened to you today and share it, along with your reflection of those good things. I promise that it will enhance your outlook and definitely increase your resilience and promote optimism.
What happened that was good to you today?
Happy hunting!