15 Elements of Resilience

To overcome adversity, children, youth and adults draw from three sources of resilience:

I have:

1. People around me I trust and who love me, no matter what
2. People who set limits for me so I know when to stop before there is danger or trouble
3. People who show me how to do things right by the way they do things
4. People who want me to learn to do things on my own
5. People who help me when I am sick, in danger, or need to learn.

I am:

6. A person people can like and love
7. Glad to do nice things for others and show my concern
8. Respectful of myself and others
9. Willing to be responsible for what I do
10. Sure things will be all right

I can:

11. Talk to others about things that frighten me or bother me
12. Find ways to solve problems that I face
13. Control myself when I feel like doing something not right or dangerous
14. Figure out when it is a good time to talk to someone or take action
15. Find someone to help me when I need it

Reprinted with permission from Reaching Today's Youth. Copyright 1998 by the National Education Source. 1-800-733-6786. http://www.nationaleducationalservice.com/.