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CHAPLAIN (CAPT.) EMIL KAPAUN
"The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But... the Good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'"-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What exactly is resilience? I like this simple definition: "resilience is the ability to bounce back." Those with resilience are able to 'bounce back' from setbacks, disappointments, defeats and failures. Sometimes setbacks or life challenges come like a boxer taking continuous jabs and uppercuts that keep you off balance. Resilience is what allows you to recover and stay in the fight with your goal in mind. At other times, however, setbacks come like a roundhouse knockout blow. Out of nowhere, tragedy strikes and knocks you flat. When life hands you a knockout blow and you feel flattened, you must dig even deeper in order to dust yourself off, pick yourself up and stay the course. Sometimes this may take a long time. So where do we find this "strength" that can help us pick ourselves up? We find it through our spiritual, physical, mental and emotional pillars. This article will highlight the benefits of the spiritual pillar.
So what is "spiritual" resilience? Again, keeping it simple, I'd say that "spiritual" resilience is based on one's purpose and meaning in life which may or may not come from faith-based resources. Your purpose and meaning in life provide an essential resource or compass for paddling through life's Whitewater. A perfect example of faith-based "spiritual" resilience is the life of Ch., Capt. Emil Kapaun. Kapaun's story offers us important keys to finding...