One of the greatest gifts leaders of women religious can share with their fellow religious sisters is a sense of their own resilience …but they can’t share what they don’t have. By discussing psychological and classical spiritual approaches to maintaining a healthy perspective in challenging times, Dr. Wicks, an expert on the prevention of secondary stress (the pressures experienced in reaching out to others) and author of The Simple Care of a Hopeful Heart: Ministering to Yourself in Difficult Times; Perspective: The Calm within the Storm, Bounce: Living the Resilient Life and Heartstorming: Creating a Place God Can Call Home, offers insights into how persons in leadership roles can reach out to colleagues and those they are called to guide without losing their own inner fire in the process.
Topics will include: facing a “psychological and spiritual winter solstice;” understanding the importance of offering a nonjudgmental presence, maintaining a healthy sense of perspective—especially during these unusually stressful times; avoiding dangers that lead to unnecessary stress; developing your own self-care protocol; knowing the 4 “voices” you need in your circle of friends to maintain balance and courage in life; improving self-awareness; facing inner darkness; understanding posttraumatic growth (PTG) and developing a richer “rule of prayer”. Practical, illustrative, lively, this rich presentation will provide essential information on resilience, compassion, and personal/professional wellbeing.
