Paralympian Deb Gruen exemplifies the power of optimism. Born with spina bifida, Gruen stayed positive, focused on her strengths, and through hard work became a two-time Paralympic medalist.
A graduate of Yale and Georgetown, Gruen is now a successful lawyer in New York City. In Episode 8 of the Road to Resilience podcast, she explains how setting realistic expectations and the power of positivity can help you overcome life’s toughest challenges.
Of the many people interviewed, Gruen is perhaps the one who best exemplifies the spirit and power of dispositional optimism. Optimism ignites resilience, providing energy to power the other resilience factors that can help anyone become stronger. It facilitates an active and creative approach to coping with challenging situations.
The Road to Resilience podcast is based on the well-received book Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges, co-authored by Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Steven Southwick, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University. It features thought-provoking insight from renowned experts as they explain the science behind resilience.
Road to Resilience is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play (link works best in Chrome). New episodes of the series are released on the last Wednesday of each month. You can find more information on the Icahn School of Medicine website or on the Road to Resilience website.