Article: Being idle can lead to less resilience, but being active and tackling your problems head-on can promote your ability to deal with tough situations. Try to avoid ruminating over negative thoughts or ideas. Instead, do something about the situation.  For example, if nobody wants to publish the novel you wrote, that doesn't mean you have to let your worth lie in what other people think about your work. Be proud of yourself for a job well done, keep trying to get published, or try something new. If you got fired, pick yourself up and look for another job -- or even consider finding a job that gives you more value and makes you happier, even if you take your career down a new path. Though it may not feel like it, getting fired may be the best thing that ever happened to you. Try to think about the positives and move toward a solution. Having goals and dreams increases resilience. A lack of purpose and goals reduces resilience and may leave you open to being taken advantage of, manipulation, and poor life choices; it reduces your sense of control over your life, which can easily lead to depression and anxiety.  Consider what goals you have, whether little or large. These goals give a sense of purpose to your life and keep you focused. Write down a list of things you want to accomplish in life. Keep this list in a safe place and evaluate your progress regularly.  Learn to recognize what gives you a sense of purpose in life and what detracts from that. Live your life in accordance with your values and convictions. If you want to be a more resilient person, then you have to not only set goals, but you have to work to achieve them. Making a plan to achieve your goals -- whether you're getting an advanced degree, getting more physically fit, or trying to get over a break up – can help you feel directed, focused, and driven.  Make a goals list of everything you want to achieve in the next month, 6 months, and year. Make sure each goal is realistic and achievable. An example of an achievable goal would be to lose 10 lbs in 3 months. An unrealistic (and unhealthy) goal would be to lose 20 lbs in 1 month. Make a week-by-week, or month-by-month plan for getting what you want. Though life is unpredictable and you can't plan everything, setting out some sort of a plan can help you feel more in control of the situation, and more likely to succeed. Tell other people about the goals you want to achieve. Just talking about your goals and discussing what you're going to do may help you feel more obligated to achieve them. People who are resilient tend to be more curious, excited about life, and want to know more. They embrace the unknown and want to feel more knowledgeable about the world. They are excited about other cultures and want to learn about them, and they are well-informed and confident in their views while being able to admit when they want to know more about something. It's this thirst for knowledge that will keep you excited about life, and may make you want to live on in spite of adversity. The more you know, the more equipped you may feel to deal with a major setback or challenge.  Learning a foreign language, read books and the papers, and watch exciting films. Resilient people are always asking questions when they are faced with a new situation. Ask questions until you feel like you have a firm grasp of a situation instead of feeling immobile and unable to deal with it.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Be a person of action. Find your purpose in life. Work toward your goals. Seek knowledge.