A small start
Draw three sections labeled strengths, past victories, and support team. A plain list works equally well if drawing is not useful.
When to use it
Use before a demanding task or when a setback has made earlier progress and available support difficult to remember.
How to use it
Draw three sections labeled strengths, past victories, and support team. A plain list works equally well if drawing is not useful.
In strengths, write a quality and an example of it in action. “Patient: explained the instructions twice without mocking anyone” is more informative than “good at everything.”
In victories, include a challenge handled, a skill learned, or a small goal completed. Choose examples that are relevant enough to suggest a strategy, not just a collection of trophies.
In support team, identify who can help with what. A friend may listen; a teacher may clarify an assignment; an adult may arrange practical support. Check availability instead of assuming unlimited access.
Make a short version with one useful item from each section. Before a new challenge, choose which strength, prior strategy, and person apply to this situation.
Update the record as circumstances change. If a support relationship is unavailable or unsafe, identify another trusted person. Needing help is part of using the shield, not proof that it failed.
A worked example
A practical illustration of the method.
Invented example: Before a difficult conversation, a student notes patience shown during a project, remembers that writing questions helped last time, and asks a parent to rehearse the opening sentence. The shield supplies a plan without predicting how the other person will respond.
Use it thoughtfully
Listing flattering claims without examples.
Expecting a past success to guarantee a new outcome.
Assuming one person can provide every kind of support.
From the book
A personal inventory of your strengths, past victories, and support systems that you can reference when facing challenges or setbacks.
The Hero’s Expanding World · Chapter 13: The Resilience Shield — Hero Tool: Resilience Shield
Excerpt from the author’s current manuscript; page numbers vary by edition. The practical instructions on this page are companion guidance, not additional quoted text.
Book references and related versions
- Chapter 13: The Resilience Shield — Hero Tool: Resilience Shield
Read a sample chapter from this book → · Book details & print editions →
An original practical companion to the book’s approach. Reflection and planning aid; not a validated psychological assessment or a guarantee of an outcome.
Put it into practice
Your next step
Use these prompts for a real situation or a made-up example. Younger readers can work with a trusted adult.
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