ABSTRACT
News bulletin – LIFE IS NOT FAIR! Yes, this is really true. But you know what? You can learn to live with it! This chapter explores the powerful idea that even though life is not fair, we can still live a good life. We know that unfortunate things happen to even the best of people and that stress and distress are constantly present in our modern lives. The good news is that we can learn how to more effectively accept and cope with the fundamental truth of disappointment, unfairness, and stress in our daily lives. This is called resilience. In this chapter, we present acceptance, mindfulness, and gratitude as key ideas and strategies to help build resilience. The role of these abilities in coping with life in general and in response to specific transgressions is reviewed along with the scientific evidence of the positive impact of resilience. Specific interventions are also presented and discussed including how to trust and share with supportive others, build empathy and compassion, and also commit to acceptance and joy.
