TEDxHultBoston YOU hold the power of resilience

On May 4 Hult Boston hosted its first ever TEDxHultBoston event. Organized by Hult students under the banner â€Å"Global Experiences†, the goal was to invite speakers who would not only educate but also inspire, and expose new perspectives on how to approach situations on a daily basis. Of the 10+ speakers on the day, it was Dr. Delvina Miremadi-Baldino, founder and Chief Resilience Officer of Realize Your Resilience LLC, who inspired me to change the way I think in order to live the best possible life. Before presenting â€Å"the ABC model† – more to come on this – Dr. Miremadi-Baldino talked about how negative thoughts determine our reality. The most striking of many jaw-dropping facts she shared is that 80% of a persons thoughts are negative, and 95% of these thoughts are repetitive! The human brain is wired to pay more attention to negative experiences; in fact, negative experiences are easier to recall than positive ones. Sadly, this is the ONE thing all human beings have in common, regardless of where you are from, your age, gender or education. However, we also have the power to change it! By becoming resilient we have the chance to be our best when things are at their worst – all it takes is a quick mental shift to become compassionate and grateful with yourself. TEDxHultBoston brought 10+ inspirational speakers to campus to share their Global Experiences Easy as A, B, C By this point in the talk I was wondering, â€Å"How do I rewire my brain to become more resilient?!† Luckily Dr.Miremadi-Baldino gave us a couple of tools to do so. The ABC model, as the name suggests, has three components in order to become more resilient: A. Grow: Everyday write down three things in which you were successful. B. Succeed: Learn to fail forwards and succeed from that failure. C. Thrive: Take away the power of thoughts by greeting them with compassion. It took me a long time to write this blog because I not only wanted to share what was said, but actually put it into practice in my daily life. The day after the talk I immediately started implementing the ABC model in my life. The first time I sat down to think about three things I was successful at I could not think of anything – just as Dr. Miremadi-Baldino said would happen. Even though I had just made it to the Hult Business Challenge Entrepreneurship Track finals; I had gotten married a month previous; and my masters is almost complete, I sat for one hour just recalling everything that had gone wrong. I had stepped in some mess on my way home from walking the dogs, I was late to a meeting because of it, so I was overwhelmed with negative thoughts: â€Å"You are so stupid!†, â€Å"How could you do this!†, â€Å"If you could have just stayed focused this wouldnt have happened!†. You know how it goes†¦ Frustrated, disappointed, but eager to change how my brain works, I was finally able to start listing things in which I had succeeded throughout my day. For the first few days I kept it small – things like I cleaned my apartment before heading out, which meant waking up earlier. By day 10 I was able to do it faster and concentrate on bigger things – for example, â€Å"Today I got a job interview!† Dr. Delvina Miremadi-Baldino at TEDxHultBoston Confronting the F word For me, learning how to fail forward was the most challenging part. Failure is terrible – at least, thats what I had heard my whole life. Michael Jordan once said: â€Å"Ive missed more than 9000 shots in my career. Ive lost almost 300 games. 26 times, Ive been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. Ive failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.† I had never thought about failure this way, so it was very hard to break this cycle in my mind. I found the trick here was, once you fail, you have to take a step back and try to look at the situation from a different perspective. Stay positive, and try to learn from what went wrong. It starts with you Finally, in order to thrive at being resilient I needed to cultivate some self-compassion. During TEDx Dr.Miremadi-Baldino gave the perfect example of how to take away the power of thoughts and greet them with compassion. She said, â€Å"What would you say to a child you love? What would you say to them if the same thing had happened to them?†. Putting Dr. Miremadi-Baldino ´s advice into practice was actually pretty straightforward. For example, lets go back to the dog-walking accident†¦What if this had happen to my niece instead of me? I wouldnt have been anywhere near as harsh on her as I was on myself; I probably would have told her that everything was okay, that it was just an accident, that we would clean it, and that would have been the end of it. Sounds easy, right? So why couldnt I do it that day? The thing is, to change our brain and defeat negative thoughts we need to be resilient ALL the time, not just for a couple of minutes at the beginning or end of our day. We need to have the ability to STOP and make that mental shift as fast as possible. It’s a continuous and continual process. We need to treat ourselves with compassion and gratitude all the time. Remember, YOU hold the power to be resilient! Delvina Miremadi-Baldino Director of Education and Programs, Life Advantages Chief Resilience Officer, Realize Your Resilience LLC Dr. Miremadi-Baldino is the founder and Chief Resilience Officer of Realize Your Resilience LLC and works as the Director of Research and Program Development at Life Advantages, LLC. Dr. Miremadi-Baldino received her Ed.M. from Harvard University and completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Simmons College where she specialized in student resilience. Dr. Miremadi-Baldino is a Certified Applied Positive Psychology Practitioner (CAPP) and a Certified Coach. Her extensive training in Education and Psychology places her at the forefront of developing innovative tools that foster resilience and help individuals live more flourishing lives. Want to learn about your own strengths and weaknesses? All Hult programs are designed to ensure you graduate with a deep understanding of the world, the future, and yourself. Download a brochure now to join us on campus. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .