When a disaster comes along, or economic depression, or crime and violence that touch close to home, we need to tap into our repositories of coping strategies.
Our friend Anna found a way of coping after cancer took her husband from her. She decided to visit sick people in the hospital twice a week as a way of giving back something to people who were sick and lonely. She regards these comforting visits to the sick as a gift to her husband.
The most positive approaches for getting through life-changing events are drawn from our repositories of problem-solving behavior and coping strategies.
We accumulate these mechanisms simply by living and coping. They are there to draw upon when change falls heavily on our lives.
No challenge, no growth; no change, no growth! Thus, part of creating a SPARK is to build resilience which is born in the midst of challenges and constant change.