Resiliency Among the Israelis

You've probably noticed that we often blog about building resiliency and moving forward after experiencing difficult challenges. I'm just back from Israel, a country filled with some of the most resilient people in the world. Native Israelis are called Sabras - after the cactus - tough and prickly on the outside but soft and juicy on the inside. I've been wondering how the Israeli's remain creative, optimistic, and involved in the midst of the stresses they face every day.

We found that the country is filled with people working energetically to invent new technologies, improve the lives of others, create beauty in their surroundings. They seem to focus their energies on innovation rather than stagnation and hope rather than despair. Some say the crane is the national bird of Israel - not one that flies but the large construction machines you see everywhere involved in the new buildings.

As we were leaving, I asked the taxicab driver how he was a able to remain cheerful every day and he remarked, "I look forward not backward. And I'm a dreamer. I try to achieve 60% of my dreams."

How about you? What are your dreams? What are you doing to make them happen? If you're a Sandwiched Boomer, caring for aging parents while you are still raising growing children, your stress levels may make it difficult to nourish yourself at the same time. Tune in on Wednesday and you'll find some tips to help you too work toward accomplishing your goals and building your resiliency when you meet barriers along the way.

Emotional support is a major theme for Sandwiched Boomers. And today we salute the parents who are at the Beijing Olympics, watching their emerging adult children spread their wings as they compete. With 3 gold medals and 3 world records under his belt already, everyone is talking about Michael Phelps. On the Today show, his mother and sisters discussed the roller coaster ride - the ups and downs, the pressure, the racing hearts, and then the ultimate excitement. His mother described the pool as Michael's office and knows that he's working to perform at his highest level.

The Phelps family epitomizes all families. What are your dreams and who are your heroes? How are you taking each race as it comes? What kind of support are you giving? And how are you pulling for your kids so that they're free to give the best performance that they can?

Do you remember your childhood dreams? Randy Pausch had written his down when he was a boy. They are specific and range from typical male fantasies - playing in the NFL - to ones which later defined his career - being a Disney Imagineer. In his talk and book, "The Last Lecture," Randy reveals how he worked around the obstacles he faced in pursuit of these dreams, reaching some goals but not others. He viewed a brick wall as a challenge, there for a reason, rather than something that stopped him cold in his tracks.

Take some time now, even in the midst of caring for your family-in-flux, to think about your own childhood aspirations. What were your dreams? Do you still have the same passions or have they changed? How can you move toward achieving your goals now? Likely you will face barriers in reaching them - learn from those obstructions as you continue along your path.

As a Sandwiched Boomer, one of your stumbling blocks may be the lack of time and energy you have to focus on yourself. Caring for children growing up and parents growing older can drain you dry. Vow to replenish yourself so that you can devote some of your strength and enthusiasm to the pursuit of your dreams today.