Could our hardest challenges in life stem from trauma? Trauma affects many of us and we feel the effects more pronounced over time. The ways we tackle adversity might not be the same strategies as those needed to deal with trauma. So, how can we prepare ourselves to face both life’s tough situations?
- How to distinguish between adversity and trauma?
- What are the different ways to respond?
- How do you show up for adversity? How do you want to show up?
- How do you overcome trauma? Is it even possible?
- What can you do to strengthen your resilience for both adversity and trauma?
- How can you be a support to others who face adversities and/or traumas?
Magnificent Strength of Heart is my memoir and was published in 2020. Ironically the order of 1,000 books arrived on January 6, 2021. I share stories of political and social unrest in El Salvador in the 1970s. I never thought I would see the same unrest in the United States. These days the unrest in the United States is even worse than 2020.
Strengthen your inner life by delving into a memoir that explores the author’s tumultuous experiences in 1970s El Salvador, where adversity relentlessly followed. Amidst war, danger, terrorist threats, and bombs, a missionary family persevered in upholding their Christian faith.
My memoir is about:
Seven terrorist groups | Three countries | One missionary family
My family are the Perez’s. We traveled to four countries and four states because my parents are adventurous. When we arrived in El Salvador our adventures turned dangerous. El Salvador was going through a civil war but we didn’t know that when we arrived in 1977. My story has to do with me as a 13-year-old who dared to maintained a tender heart yet a tough mind but discovered instead strength from inklings of the spirit.
Buy Book Now
Build Resilience: your own inner strength
It’s never too late to learn new ways to handle life’s challenges whether adversities or traumas. Here are some tools designed to help.
Facing Life’s Toughest Adversities Course
The purpose of this course is to help develop our ability to adapt and adjust in this unpredictable world. You know, there are no experts in these unprecedented times, but we need tools and resources that can adapt to a new era. Which is toughest? Change? Adversity? Trauma? How to you get through each of these? For some a changing world is the most unsettling part of life nowadays. For others, adversities that keep coming one after another are the most overwhelming. For others, trauma is the toughest adversity in life. It stays with you over the years and comes back in nightmares.
In this course we explore two main topics: resilience and Narrative Therapy. Belinda McDanel says, “I’m here to help you prepare for the times when life is unexpected, unexplained or unimaginable.” The context is a fast-changing world. In this course we develop A More Resilient Narrative.
Magnificent Strength of Heart Study Guide
Specific steps how to build up your inner strength. No need to worry. We provide questions and prompts to dig out what is inside of you. What are key decisions you need to make? Also learn to hold space for your thoughts and feelings. Learn to listen in a nonjudgmental and healing way. Capture the process with Journaling, if that is your thing. And lastly, listen to your Intuitive self. Identify the different voices in your head, heart, gut and spirit. If you don’t know how, we’ll teach you.
YouTube Channel @belindamcdanel
Coming later this year are free resources with the YouTube Channel. Belinda Perez McDanel Author Channel for your viewing pleasure. Develop a more resilient story for yourself with guidance.
How are you so resilient?
The question I’m asked most often is: How are you so resilient? In fact, more than one therapist said to me, “You should be more messed up than you are considering, the trauma of your childhood.” Why is this so? How did I become resilient?
First, I selected a narrative that I wanted to live out during life threatening situations. Intentional decisions how I wanted to show up to life’s adversities and traumas. In my workbooks, I show you how to do the same.
In addition, I learned how to change narratives from one to another. For example, I would announce to myself, “I’m in crisis mode.” Then after the shoot-out or riot, I would again announce to myself, “Crisis mode is over. I’m safe.” This sounds simple, but there is a great advantage to be adaptable in violent and unpredictable situations. Every evening, I would return to peace with an evening ritual. Every evening.
Second, I leaned on my family and my faith with special attention to mental health. Let’s face it, not all faith communities are healthy. In his book, Hiding in the Pews, Steve Austin writes:
“I’ve seen damage done by well-meaning Christian communities who didn’t have a clue how to handle the situation and were just doing the best they knew. But they still did damage.”
Mental health is not a popular topic in many faith communities, but we have to talk about it so that we learn the best way to support people. We need healthy emotions, not glossing over the pain with superficial statements. We need training so that we are trauma informed so that we are part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Third, I learned to distinguish between transition and transformation. If I don’t understand how to handle unexpected changes in life, my life can feel like chaos. Prepare for life’s unexpected events in a way where you thrive. Most people hate change. My life was nothing but constant change. I moved 23 times by the time I was 19-years-old, which included living in four states in the United States of America, and four countries. One day, my mom asked, “Where did you move 23 times?” I listed all the placed I could think of and it added up to 23.” She responded, “You are missing a few.” Adapt-and-Adjust, that’s my middle name. You can learn the same. Resilience is not something you develop fast and easy. Resilience is hard work. Practice, practice, practice.
Hi I’m Belinda Perez McDanel. Pastor turned writer. Seminary-trained and Certified Transformational Life Coach.
I’m here to help you prepare for the times when life is unexpected, unexplained, or unimaginable.
– Belinda McDanel
Benefits of Adapting in an Unpredictable World
The unexpected is becoming the norm in our world. How do we adapt? We live in a time of radical uncertainty. How do we respond? I developed a blog and a Youtube channel to help develop our ability to adapt and respond in this unpredictable world. You know, there are no experts in these unprecedented times, but we need tools and resources that can help us adapt to a new era. There are no experts, but I have years of experience. In my work, we explore two main topics: resilience and Narrative Therapy. The context is a fast-changing world. And the goal is to develop A More Resilient Narrative.
In her Ted Talk called “The human skills we need in an unpredictable world,” Margaret Heffernan describes our times, “The unexpected is becoming the norm in our world.” Awesome talk which I highly recommend.
Some of our topics:
-
- The biggest challenge in our present world
- Dominant Narrative
- Changing Narrative
- Change, Transition and Transformation
- Chaos during changing times
- The power of human resilience, found in spirit
- Find God in whispers- like a twinkle, or a flash, like a glimpse or an impression!
- Faith and Mental Health
My Core Beliefs:
- Although it sounds impossible, people can prepare for the unexpected, the unexplained and the unimaginable.
- Key to this preparation is the proper understanding of the process of change and of connection to spirit.
- New tools like a new vocabulary are required.
- New framework to work out the new narrative is essential. We need a process that is doable.
I’m happy that you are here. Lets’ connect and keep in touch. My email list is here. Please tell me a little about yourself.
A More Resilient Narrative 