It goes without saying that the year 2020 has tested our collective mettle - as individuals, small communities, and greater society at large. Many of us are wondering what we can do to strengthen our character and our resolve in order to get through whatever may be next. A few months back we linked to an article on how to stay optimistic in a time of crisis. The gist of it: Allow yourself to feel your feelings. All of them. Without judgement or rumination. Feeling your feelings, along with a daily gratitude practice have turned out to be two key factors allow us to rise above the fray and continue on. Recently, another trait has been linked to resiliency: the experience of hardship and suffering. Harvard Business Review has published a piece by Marcus Buckingham looking at what really allows us to rise above to adversity. Mr. Buckingham’s study connected the quality of resiliency to the experience of previous hardship more than any other individual experience. It turns out, what inspires fear is simply the unknowns. Once we are facing our troubles and can take stock of obstacles to overcome, that’s when our true strength comes out. Take a few moments to read Mr. Buckingham’s research, and see if you can’t identify with some of the experiences he describes.