What is resilience?

Discover Resilience: Strength, Adaptability, and Renewal

Resilience is the capacity to adapt, recover, and grow stronger in the face of change. It’s found in people, in communities, and in nature. By understanding resilience, we can take actions that help our planet thrive.

Learn About Ordinary Magic

Resilience is an everyday magic in all of us. I will spend (___) minutes learning about resilience and psychologist Ann Masten’s concept of “ordinary magic,” which shows how people adapt and thrive through small, daily strengths.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Listen or Read: The Roots of Resilience (31:58 mins)

Explore Resilience with Psychology Today

Read: Resilence in Individuals and Communities
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DAILY ACTION
Learn About Community Resilience

Communities can adapt to challenges and grow stronger together. I will spend (___) minutes learning about how communities prepare for and respond to change, and how collective action builds resilience.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Read: What is community resilience and why does it matter?

Watch: TEDx: Building Resilient Communities: A Moral Responsibility with Nick Tilsen (14:54 mins)

Explore Case Studies of Resilient Communities
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DAILY ACTION
Learn About Ecological Resilience

Resilience is part of how nature works. I will spend (___) minutes learning about ecological resilience—how ecosystems adapt to disturbances and renew themselves through cycles of growth and renewal.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Read: Ecosystem Resilience in a Nutshell

Watch: TEDx: Eco Resilience: Science as a Tool, Communities as a Force with Dr. Greg Asner (9:55 mins)

Read: Nature's Unifying Patterns
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DAILY ACTION
Learn About Biodiversity and Resilience

Diversity builds strength in ecosystems. I will spend (___) minutes learning how biodiversity helps nature adapt to change and maintain balance.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Read: Environmental Resilience: Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Watch: TED-Ed: Why is biodiversity so important? (4:18 mins)

Read: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability
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DAILY ACTION
Reflect on My Own Resilience

Resilience is personal and collective. I will reflect on a time when I adapted to change in my own life, writing down what helped me and what I learned from the experience.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Take a Personal Resilience Test

Explore Resilience with Option B

Journal: Five Ways Journaling Can Build Your Resilience
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DAILY ACTION
Notice Resilience Around Me

Resilience shows up in many places. I will look for one example of resilience in my surroundings—whether in my community, work, or daily life—and reflect on what it teaches me about adapting to change.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Explore: Sustainability and Community Resilience Projects

For Wildlife and Humans, Native Plants are a Key to Climate Resilience

Read: 50 Great Ideas for Inspiring Community Resilience to Climate Change
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DAILY ACTION
Share a Definition of Resilience

Sharing builds common understanding. I will share (___) definitions of resilience that resonate with me—through conversations, social media, or the event feed—to help others explore what resilience means.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Read: Defining Resilience

Listen: Roots of Resilience: Exploring Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (1hr, 4 mins)

Read: Key Concepts from the Resilience Alliance
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Explore Resilience in Nature

Resilience is all around us in the natural world. I will spend (___) minutes outdoors looking for examples of resilience—such as plants regrowing, animals adapting, or seasonal cycles—and reflect on what they teach about thriving through change.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Read: When Nature Leads: Remarkable Stories of Ecosystem Recovery

Read and Watch: What Nature Can Teach Us About Resilience

Read: Nature’s Lessons: How Observing the Natural World Can Teach Us About Resilience and Adaptation
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DAILY ACTION
Share a Resilience Story

Stories connect and inspire us. I will share (___) resilience stories—either from my life, my community, or from a leader or culture I admire—through conversations, social media, or the event feed to help others see resilience in action.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Explore Stories of Resilience with Smithsonian's Kaleidoscope

Listen: Resilient by Nature Podcast

Read: Ordinary Magic of Resilience: How fire victims ‘bounce back’ to real life
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ONE-TIME ACTION
CREATE A CUSTOM ACTION

Ideally, you’ll choose at least one measurable goal so that you can measure your success but there are no limits on what you can choose—so exercise your creativity!

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