With Boston Strong, people often ask me as a Political Psychologist, “How should we deal with terrorism?” Should we go every day in fear of what could occur? Are we acting with caution as we move forward? What do we do every day to overcome fear and anxiety? My answer to this is we must think “Struggle, Grow, Survive”.
It is important for us to show that we are going to not be belittled or marginalized. It is up to us as an undivided nation to stand together and continue a freedom and way of life that won’t be threatened or minimized in any way. After 9/11 we all saw that even the most terrible tragedy wouldn’t divide us. We came together as a nation using all our might and might and we pulled through.
Certainly Boston has risen to the occasion and so can we all. We must be tough, we must be strong, and we must fight for our rights. Some of the participants inspired us all to go forward with prosthetic limbs, or some who only had one leg, galloping with passion and determination. Here’s the problem. The best formula for fighting the terror that tries to stop us, is to fight fear and doubt with resilience and determination.
We can now apply this philosophy to Americans who are treated unfairly in business or in their personal lives. People often find themselves victims of bullying. Whether at school, at work, or at home, at any age, in any culture, or in any social group. I find that people often despair, feel useless, and want to give up, but we must not let them win. We must keep trying to be the best we can, setting goals and achieving them, no matter who tries to bring us down. In turn, we will Thrive with success and prosperity, and not letting negativity in, we will all the time Endure. When life gets tough, remember to think “Struggle, Thrive, Survive”.
Written by:
Dr Bart Rossi.
Website www.brossi.us
