The Peak Performance Expert

Our bodies come equipped with an immune system which, when fully developed, succeed in fending off unwanted viruses and bacteria to help keep us healthy. For some people (those undergoing chemotherapy or those who are HIV+, for example), the immune system is compromised and hence, the person is more susceptible to disease. 

Interestingly, the immune system can be strengthened by exposure to certain viruses and bacteria which allow the body to develop antibodies to better fight off disease.  The same thing can be said for what I refer to as our psychological immune system or our resilience to adversity. Many people who have experienced severe adversity report that they emerge from it feeling stronger, happier, with greater clarity about what is important to them and with an intense commitment to achieving their chosen goal. 

This is not true for everyone, of course.  There are those who get beaten down by rough times and who never recover.  Some might say this makes sense; that life’s curve balls do have the power to ruin a person.  I would argue that perception has a role in this.  For every person who gives up there is one who turns it around and thrives. 

There are countless examples.  In the world of sports, Lance Armstrong comes to mind.  He has almost become a cliché in these kinds of discussions – how he endured intense painful treatment for cancer, including brain surgery and then how he became one of the greatest athletes in the world by winning the Tour de France 7 times.  He has stated many times that without the cancer, he never would have become the superb athlete he became. 

In the world of jazz, there are 2 tales: Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.  Both had gruesome childhoods filled with abuse, poverty, and loneliness.  Both became big jazz sensations but Billie chose to numb her pain via heroin, which ultimately killed her while Ella shunned drugs and, despite diabetes, lived a long life filled with laughter and love.  Choice has something to do with this – the choice to see the world in a particular way. 

Because so many people operate with a fear mentality, where they anticipate failure or humiliation or adversity, they never actually move forward.  It can be helpful to consider that it is often the anticipation of adversity that is far worse than the adversity itself.  (Research supports this notion.) 

Here’s what you can do to boost your psychological immune system: 

• First, write down 4 adversity experiences you have had and then consider some positive things that happened as a result.
• Second, write down 4 mistakes you have made and the lessons learned from each. 
• Third, list 4 successes you have experienced and include what motivated you, what obstacles you encountered and how you felt upon completion