Rhonda Cornum was a 36-year-old flight surgeon in 1991 when her Black Hawk helicopter was sent to rescue a downed F-16 pilot. During the rescue mission her helicopter was shot down and Rhonda — who broke both arms, injured her leg, and was shot in the back — became an Iraqi prisoner of war. Through this — what she calls “one week of misadventure” — she remained positive. Her resilience surprised many of those around her, and today the retired brigadier general teaches those techniques to others, including overseeing the military’s resilience training program.
In this episode Live Happy Science Editor Paula Felps talks with Rhonda about where resilience comes from, the major challenges to teaching – and learning – resilience, and offers a few tips to help you become more resilient.
What you’ll learn in this podcast:
- Just like physical fitness, psychological fitness can be increased with training
- When to practice resilient thinking skills for maximum impact
- You can learn resilient skills at any age
Links and resources mentioned in this episode:
- Purchase She Went to War: The Rhonda Cornum Story
- Hear more from Rhonda and pre-order Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy
- Thank you to our partner – AARP Life Reimagined!
