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I’m reading a book that is packed with ideas that I’m finding really helpful. The book, “Saying Yes to Change,” by Joan Borysenko, Ph.D and Gordon Dveirin, Ed.D, has lots of wonderful ideas, but one that I’m finding particularly helpful is the idea of “The 3 C’s.”
Apparently there are three qualities that researchers have found that optimistic and resilient people tend to use and display when they encounter problems and obstacles.
Since I want to remember and use these ideas, I created some “pages” to keep them in “my line of vision.”
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a few ideas, from those pages of the book
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A short explanation about each of the 3 C’s
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As I wrote above…. the authors explain that these awarenesses and qualities can be developed through understanding, reflection, conscious awareness, application and practice.
And so… a few reminder “pages”…. the 3 C’s….
Seeing the obstacle as a challenge to develop new awareness, insights and useful skills,
Reaffirming my commitment to a deeper meaning or purpose,
Handling or controlling what I can and letting go of what I can’t…..
a potentially good practice to develop.
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A page with questions to possibly think about…
to support stepping back from reacting,
thinking about, analyzing, developing
and learning to use potentially helpful strategies in each area
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No matter what skills or qualities we may pursue developing, the underlying qualities that support this learning are of equal importance. Patience, kindness to self and others, effort, persistence, acceptance, tolerance, concentration and wisdom will support the process. We’re nurturing so many other positive qualities as we pursue any new learning.
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Reminder 3 C’s images that I printed out…
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a single, simple reminder page
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The 3 C’s ……challenge, commitment, control
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Added 3 years later, April, 2016… I ‘m STILLÂ trying to learn to use these strategies!
I hit a huge resilience “pot hole” this past fall…so here I go….learning again!
Link to more ideas for developing positive qualities of “resilient people
” Dance with me! Resilience!”
A few ideas that are in “Dance with me….”
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Pocket Perspectives 
My husband is like that — able to see challenges as opportunities. I want to be more like him when I grow up. Thanks for this today, Kathy. It is something I think will help with some of my goals and challenges. đŸ™‚
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Oh, you’re welcome. I have some difficulties in this area. (The ideas feel almost “foreign” to me.) I’m so impressed by people who see challenges as opportunities, and I’d REALLY like to develop that perspective, too! I want to be more like your husband, too! I just created and added a few more “thinking about it” pages to this post, when I realized I really need a guideline to follow some steps of thinking to learn to make this type of shift…I think it’s possible, with practice…I hope so! ….Hey…an opportunity to learn new skills, right here! đŸ˜€
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As I move forward into this New Year I am stepping outside my comfort zone. My ongoing “dance” with chronic inflammation necessitates changing things up to better manage my health.The upside of this is that I’m forced to flex my mind. And that, as we all know, is good for my mental well-being…and staving off the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s.
Life is change. So why fight it? Best adapt…and soak up…every moment. It’s your story…in the making. đŸ™‚
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Yes, each of our “stories” in the making…so to make them positive, as much and as often as we can. What a lot of challenges you’re coming to terms with…and yet your posts always radiate warmth and enthusiasm! I guess life is an ongoing process of adjusting to new circumstances and learning to, as you write, “flex” our minds… wishing us all good progress! đŸ˜€
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Wow PP this is exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you for explaining it to us..
The ability to see challenges as opportunities is what I learned when I walked on the Camino, but in this short time since I’ve been back home I’ve allowed myself to get bogged down with stress and filled my head with noisy silly chatter so the opportunities have flowed past me to be picked up by others ….
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I hope the ideas are helpful or might provide a springboard. I just revised several of the pages you saw and just inserted them in this post, in case you’re interested. Yes, the opportunity to see challenges as opportunities… a slippery lesson, it seems….tends to slip away, I think. (ah that noisy chatter too…) That’s why I made up these pages. I made a few pages a month ago, about some ideas from Jean Houston’s book, A Passion for the Possible…choosing whether to perceive previous or present challenges or problems as “cauldrons of pain or confusion” or “chalices of opportunity”…I love that idea of transforming challenges into a golden chalice of opportunity. (maybe I’ll post those images someday soon…they really resonate with me, and might with others) I hope you can get jump started!
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Good reminders, Kathy. When faced with a challenge, we have lots of options ~ go over it, around it, under it, kick it to the curb, or . . . blast it to bits!
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yep….lots of options…hmmm, which one to choose???? đŸ˜€
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