Dear LAFACE Members,
As part of our commitment to improving the lives of fellow City employees, we are launching a “whole-person” campaign. Through it, we hope to touch on the various facets of life that make it interesting and challenging, and provide new insights and resources to make it manageable and meaningful.
The campaign will include articles via e-blast, brown bag lunch presentations, training and in-depth workshops, outdoor activities, cooking demonstrations, dance activities, and other activities.
To kick-off our “whole person” campaign, we’ve attached an article from the LAPD’s Behavioral Science Services, with their permission, about RESILIENCE and how to cultivate it (also includes a quiz).
Article: http://lapdbluelife.com/typerpersonality/
Quiz: https://type-r-resilience.com/begin-quiz/
Definition:
resilience noun re·sil·ience \ ri-ˈzil-yən(t)s \
1 : the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress
2 : an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience
Together, let’s learn about resilience, and the skills to become more resilient ourselves.
Yours in service,
The LAFACE Board Officers
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Type R Personality
By Denise Jablonski-Kaye / April 16, 2018
Type A or Type R Personality. Which are You?
by Denise Jablonski-Kaye, PhD
In the 50s, researchers identified a hurry-up, get-on-board-or-get-out-of-the-way, impatient, competitive personality type they labeled Type A and a more kick-back, relaxed, easy-going personality type they labeled Type B.
According to new research however, we shouldnt only think in terms of Type A and Type B, but also Type R. Type R personalities are people who have the skills, behaviors and mindset to turn challenges, chaos and adversity into opportunity.
Type Rs see times of upheaval and crisis as opportunities to grow stronger, smarter, and better prepared for personal and work challenges. They are more able to deal with adversity because they possess and apply resiliency skills to all types of challenges.
Curious to know how you rate on Type R skills? Take this brief quiz by clicking on the image below:
Not as Type R as you think, or want to be? The good news is that these Type R skills can be learned. Life being what it is, we are provided an opportunity every day through challenges to enhance our Type R skills. The more you practice these skills, the better you become at applying them. When adversity hits, you will be saying – Bring it on. I’ve got this!
There are six skills that Type Rs use to transform adversity into opportunity.
- Be ADAPTABLE
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but rather the one most responsive to change - Darwin
The only thing that is certain in life is that things change. Successful adaption means we have to strike a delicate balance between knowing when to hold firm and accept change and when to challenge it. We need psychological flexibility – the ability to intentionally modify our attitude and behaviors, which will allow us to effectively adapt to our changing environment. Viewing your difficulties as temporary, as having an expiration date, will make them feel more manageable.
- Be OPTIMISTIC
If we believe that nothing we do will matter, then we will fall victim to a sense of powerlessness, and we will be limited in our coping abilities. On the other hand, when we believe that we can influence events and outcomes, even if only to a small extent, we will make active attempts to overcome adversity and cope better through the challenges that life brings us. Having a greater perspective on what we can control and what we cant control gives us a sense of relief. - Be a LIFELONG LEARNER
Adversity is our greatest teacher, providing us with an opportunity to understand our vulnerabilities and develop our capabilities. This knowledge allows us to extract information from these stressful challenges and apply them to future situations. Adversity can teach us what we need to know to be the best version of ourselves. We come to know that life is not happening to us; but rather, for us. - Be PURPOSEFUL
Type Rs have a strong sense of purpose at work and home. This anchors and guides us through life. A sense of purpose, linking us to something larger than ourselves, gives us a reason to aim for something, and this is especially significant and important when we are confronted with adversity. Going through difficulties humble us. It makes us assess what is important and then chart a new course for our life. - Be CONNECTED
The challenge with adversity is to stay connected. Research has found that staying connected and leaning on our social supports is essential in being able to navigate adversity successfully. Then we can turn around and share our challenges as triumphs to inspire others to do the same. - Be RESPONSIVE
When something goes wrong there might be a tendency to react, but Type Rs respond using their assessment and reasoning. Rather than seeing the event as a threat they see that adversity reveals the good. Author Napoleon Hill stated, every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it a seed of equivalent benefit. The more you are willing to seek a solution, to find the benefit in your obstacle, the more you will find what’s good in it. An easy way to find the good is to practice gratitude. What are you grateful for in your life right now?
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