How Highly
resilient
people survive
to thrive
Resilience is the universal
human capacity to face,
overcome, and even be
strengthened by
experiences of adversity -
bending like bamboo
instead of breaking.
by Faisal Hoque
founder of:
Photo by Keith Hardy on Unsplash
Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved.

This presentation is structured around the concepts
brought forth by “Survive to Thrive” Book.
The book draws from three critical mantras: I am, I have,
and I can. The book offers powerful approaches to diffuse
strong emotion in the moment of crisis, and opens up
opportunities for re-examining your personal definition of
success. The book illuminates how anyone can attain the
resilience that’s required to repeatedly push forward in the
face of conflict.
It contains the summary lessons from the part one of
the book:
• Lesson One: I Am Redefining
• Lesson Two: Am Shaping My Destiny
• Lesson Three: I Am Moving Forward

“Resiliency is an attitude; it's your belief
that you can conquer anything. It is the
ability to go from days to weeks to months to
years to reach your destination, defining and re-
defining your personal goals along the way. At
times, it means using adversity to find the
opportunities that lead us to our true
destiny.”
- Survive to Thrive

“I hear you say – ‘How unlucky that this should happen to
me.’
But not at all.
Perhaps say instead ‘How lucky I am that I am not
broken by what has happened, and I am not afraid of
what is about to happen. For the same blow might have
stricken anyone, but not many who would have absorbed it
without capitulation and complaint’.”
- Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

“Hope is the eternal tool in the survival kit
for mankind. We hope for a little luck, we hope
for a better tomorrow, we hope – although it is
impossible hope – to somehow get out of this
world alive. And if we can’t and don’t, then it is
enough to rejoice in our short time here and to
remember how much we loved the view.”
- Life Beyond Measurement, Sidney Poitier

“For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and
then the other.
...Think. Act. Feel.
…Push our brave hearts into the promise of a
new day. With love: the passionate search for a
truth other than our own. With longing: the pure,
ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate
keeps waiting, we live on.
…We live on.”
– Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts

I Am
- Lesson One: I Am Redefining Priorities
- Lesson Two: I Am Shaping My Destiny
- Lesson Three: I Am Moving Forward

Creating your thoughts, following your own path,
ignoring skeptics, and dusting yourself off every time
you fall requires discipline over energy and drive.
Often, that comes solely from within. How we
cultivate that inner focus is by taking steps on
our personal journey with resilience, which is
the focus of this presentation.
An authentic and inspiring purpose allows for:
»» emotional engagement to claim our destiny
»» focus by redefining our priorities
»» pragmatic paths to move forward

“From Aristotle to Buddha, Rumi to Steve Jobs, Kahlil
Gibran to Paulo Coelho, many revered thinkers and
talents have said that the path to an authentic
journey is to know yourself, to be guided by an
inner voice.
To be authentic, you must be “awake,” meaning you
have the ability to understand who you are, what you
want to be, and how you want to fit in the world.”
- Everything Connects, Faisal Hoque

Lesson One: I Am Redefining Priorities
I am nurturing empathy. When we empathize with
others, our sense of identity is connected to others. As a
result, we feel greater in some way and less alone.
I am able to manifest my success. How we think creates
the energy that ultimately manifests into success. If we go
into a situation with a negative thought process, then we
seem destined for a negative outcome.
I am achieving stillness. Mindfulness and meditation
quiet our mental restlessness. Mental restlessness often
includes judgment of others and ourselves, which diminishes
our ability to fully connect with the present moment.

“When we put concentrated
effort in recognizing others'
sufferings, it allows us to put
our sufferings into
perspective.”
- Survive to Thrive

Beginner's mind is a practice of approaching our experiences empty of
assumptions.
A beginner's mind is what allows us to embrace the highest emotional
qualities such as enthusiasm, zeal and optimism to creatively move
ourselves forward.
Above all, navigate
with a beginner's mind.

Lesson Two: I Am Shaping My Destiny
I am able to guide my destiny. Destiny results
from intention. Our spiritual will can be something that
drives us to do what seems impossible.
I am able to manifest my success. How we think creates the
energy that ultimately manifests into success. If we go into a
situation with a negative thought process, then we seem
destined for a negative outcome.
I am capable of healing myself. “There isn’t any quicker
way to boost spirits than smiling and laughing. Research shows
that laughter increases endorphins, those “feel-good” chemicals
that travel through the body, typically while exercising.”

“The challenge for anyone is to understand
themselves and what they really want. Have a
personal conversation about that. Ask yourself
what you would most desire. Then decide what
steps it will take to get there. We create
our destiny every day by being conscious
about our decisions, how they will affect
ourselves and others, and still be able to summon
the courage to continue moving forward.”
- Survive to Thrive

Lesson Three: I Am Moving Forward
I am developing healthy rituals. Repetition helps us
develop habits in our lives. Choosing to do the right thing, even
when we do not feel like it, creates good habits. Mastery
follows, coming from an enthusiastic and devoted practice.
I am finding balance. When we face major challenges in life,
we often think we need to work harder and longer in order to
overcome our hurdles. Working longer hours, especially when
we are tired, actually makes us less productive.
I am achieving small goals every day. Being overwhelmed
with too many things to do at once is a choice. The fewer tasks
we try to do, the more effectively we tackle the tasks at hand.

“There is just no substitute for ritualistic
hard work.
As a very basic example, waking up at the same
time creates predictability, the structure of
which allows for sustainable daily productivity.
Highly resilient people work harder than most
people can ever imagine. They tend not to
dwell on things, they find their strength
by staying devoted to their craft.”
- Survive to Thrive

“Success comes from balance and the natural
progression of things—often with less-than-perfect
paths and outcomes.
As one ancient Eastern folk tale narrates—if you pull
the string too tight, it will snap. If you leave it
too loose, it will not make music. So is the path
to growth and contentment.”
- Everything Connects, Faisal Hoque

Writing is a way to find inspiration for
yourself and others.
“When you write for yourself, it can
propel you to explore your inner self
— your journey, your struggles, your
inspirations, and your purpose.”
Write Frequently
“I can shake off
everything as I write;
my sorrows disappear,
my courage is reborn.”"
- Anne Frank"

Food is the most fundamental of needs
for our survival and almost every major
event in our lives revolves around it.
The process of making food teaches us to
be mindful, embrace creativity, and push
for mastery.
Cook More Often.

“As we mature our own personal techniques and
disciplines, it is very possible to be involved in
multiple initiatives. However, limiting goals for
each initiative to measureable outcomes is
what allows us not to overwhelm
ourselves into a state of submission and
defeat.
Our bodies work in cycles. There are times of the
day that are most productive as well as times that
are quite the opposite. The most effective
way of staying productive is to learn your
cycle.”
- Survive to Thrive

About Me
Founder of Shadoka
A Top 100 Thought Leader. A Top 100 Most Influential
People in Technology. Founder, CEO, Chairman, and/or
board member of multiple international companies.
Author of multiple publications on leadership,
entrepreneurship, management, innovation, and
mindfulness. A regular, top contributor to Fast Company,
Business Insider, Medium, and other publications with
thousands of viral social media followers from around the
globe.
Follow me @faisal_hoque
faisalhoque.com