Beware of what you read and do not let it dictate your resilience

I am posting the article below with reservations. While there are some good points made, I wholly disagree with the website and the pushing of the book from said website. Of the traits below, they ask you to identify which ONE describes you. I say MANY of the traits describe we who deal with chronic debilitating pain. But my criticism of that website does not end, here.

Read the 12 traits, because they present with good advice. Then please read my warning that follows.

12 Traits That Help Us Overcome Adversity and Become Survivors
By The Survivors Club Staff

We are all equipped with unique traits that make us survivors. We overcome the adversity in our lives by employing these tools, sometimes unknowingly. Whether it is a battle with cancer or a run in with a bully on the playground, we deal with crises in our own unique ways. The following 12 traits help each of us get through difficulties in our lives and make us part of The Survivors Club. Which one describes you?

Adaptability
With the skill of adaptability you have the capacity to adjust to new situations and change your attitude and behavior to handle new challenges as they arise. When an obstacle gets in your way, you can modify your approach to accomplish your goals. You quickly let go of the way it used to be and use new strategies and tactics to fit the emerging reality. More than any other psychological strength, adaptability determines who gets into the Survivors Club.

Resilience
You have the ability to bend like a tree in the wind. But you will not break in the face of any adversity in your life. You have the power to rebound and recoil back to your feet. You get up when you are knocked down and continue forward persevering through these hard times. You keep trying even when others around you have fallen off or quit. You refuse to give up.

Faith
Faith is the most powerful and universal survival tool. You trust that God or a higher power has a plan and will look after you. You will be steered through difficult times and trust that you will be given guidance on your actions. If you listen, you will be shown the way. In a crisis, faith gives you remarkable power and confidence to prevail in the face of any form of adversity.

Hope
You believe that no matter how bad life gets, everything will turn out for the best in the end. Your hope isn’t just a rosy sunset on a Hallmark card; it’s a combination of optimism and realism. You are confident that your wishes and desires will be fulfilled. You are an upbeat person who turns negative feelings into positive thoughts. You have power to laugh in the darkest times and see humor even in the toughest situations.

Purpose
Purpose is the booster rocket of survival. You have a passion for life and your dreams. This gives you the power and drive to persevere in the face of incredible adversity. You’re determined and focused on accomplishing your objectives no matter what tries to slow you down. Life is a gift and you plan to make the most out of it. You are driven by a profound sense of duty to a cause and are willing to work tirelessly for your purpose.

Tenacity
Your tenacity is the superglue that keeps you strong in the toughest times. You are capable of holding on throughout any crisis and far out last others around you. You’ve got the persistence and determination to stick to it and keep stepping forward. You’ve got the grit and toughness to hold on when others can’t take the punishment. Sure life hurts everyone, but you can handle the pain and keep going.

Love
You will do anything and go to any lengths for the people you love. Your bonds with family and friends are unbreakable and give you reason to live. Other people depend on you, and you will never let them down. You believe that love is the ultimate purpose. Even in the worst times, the love around you and inside you gives you the strength to go on and thrive.

Empathy
In a crisis, your ability to help others turns out to be a very powerful way to help yourself. Your compassion motivates you to help other people stricken by misfortune. You will do anything to reduce their suffering. When others resort to selfish means of survival, you on the other hand think of others first. You are good at reading new situations and people, and you’re always aware of your surroundings.

Intelligence
You’ve got brains and a talent for learning, thinking and problem solving. Your intelligence is a powerful tool against adversity as well. You see complex and dangerous situations clearly. You examine problems from multiple angles to find realistic solutions. In a crisis, you can figure things out and understand what’s going to happen next.

Ingenuity
You are clever, inventive and resourceful. You can apply acquired knowledge from other situations to overcome immediate challenges. You are a real-life Angus MacGyver, the 1980s secret agent on television. You were given the gift of bricolage: the art of building things from whatever materials are available. You are an improviser and enjoy innovation and invention. Your ingenuity helps you survive adversity.

Flow
You are like a river. You move forward, steadily, relentlessly, and with apparent ease and effortlessness. You don’t need to make adjustments. You sail along, freely and calmly without fuss or muss. You stay cool when others panic and relax when others stress out. You understand the futility — and danger — of trying to control the uncontrollable. Facing a crisis, some fight and others flee, but you flow.

Instinct
You posses a remarkable gift that isn’t learned or taught. You have the innate power of instinct and intuition. You don’t need to think very hard — you don’t panic or obsess — you simply act. Your gut feelings come naturally and automatically and you trust yourself to do what’s necessary. In a crisis, you gain immediate insight into your challenge and know what to do. You see signs of danger before anyone else.

I posted this here because I agree with many of the points given, and it serves as good reminders to us, even if it does read like a daily horoscope out of a newspaper.

The more I read of their website, however, the more angry I became. It started with the phrase under Adaptability, which said, “More than any other psychological strength, adaptability determines who gets into the Survivors Club.”

Then I found a link for The Book. The Book is called “The Survivors Club” and the first thing you should always beware is when anyone offers you SECRETS that will better your life or save your life, if you pay them for their product or advice.

Next, the book is all about psychological profiling who will or will not be able to survive in the face of adversity. That’s right, folks, you heard me. This book will dictate whether or not you will FAIL to LIVE through your condition!

You purchase the book to get a ten-digit access code to go back to the website and take a personality test that will serve as self-fulfilling prophecy or psychological warfare, take your pick. Anyone knows that if you are told YOU WILL FAIL or YOU DON’T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES, that it has a horrible impact on one’s psyche. This is a dangerous and irresponsible book and I cannot for the life of me understand how the hell it got published.

This is not some sort of sorority or fraternity club! We are real people suffering every day with things that threaten to consume us at any second!

How I found out about The Survivor’s Club: The Endometriosis Research Center’s Facebook page had posted a link to a story about a woman diagnosed with endometriosis who, like me, started a blog to educate women about endo. On the same page as her article, there was a link to “12 Essential Traits That Make You a Survivor”.