Hugh van Cuylenburg

Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation: despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many children struggled with depression, social anxieties and mental illness. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa. How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient? He set about finding the answer and in time came to recognise the key traits and behaviours these children possessed were gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. In the ensuing years Hugh threw himself into studying and sharing this revelation with the world through The Resilience Project, with his playful and unorthodox presentations which both entertain and inform. Now, with the same blend of humour, poignancy and clear-eyed insight that The Resilience Project has become renowned for, Hugh explains how we can all get the tools we need to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

Resilience Project, The

Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation: despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many people found it hard to be happy, or suffered from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa. How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient? He set about finding the answer and in time came to recognise the key traits and behaviours these children possessed were gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. In the ensuing years Hugh threw himself into studying and sharing this revelation with the world through The Resilience Project, with his playful and unorthodox presentations which both entertain and inform. Now, with the same blend of humour, poignancy and clear-eyed insight that The Resilience Project has become renowned for, Hugh explains how we can all get the tools we need to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

Finding Happiness through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness

The Resilience Project

If ever there was a time for us to be resilient, it was when a deadly virus emerged and engulfed the planet. As death rates soared and lockdowns radically altered our lives, The Resilience Project founder Hugh van Cuylenburg was one of the people Australia turned to for advice on how to cope. Under pressure to deliver good news during a historic crisis, it didn’t take long for the Melbourne-based educator to realise he wasn’t coping. Like millions of others around the world, Hugh was forced to reassess life during the pandemic as COVID-19 undermined our sense of safety, strangled our personal connections and saw levels of happiness plunge. After taking the time to address his own feelings, Hugh recognised he was being hamstrung by the same powerful issues that affect the lives of many: shame, expectation, ego, fear of failure, the quest for perfection and control, and our addiction to social media. In this follow-up to the bestselling The Resilience Project: Finding happiness through gratitude, empathy and mindfulness, Hugh combines powerful insight with research and his own disarming and candid storytelling to show how it is possible to create authentic connections, cope better during challenging times and rediscover joy.

Hugh van Cuylenburg

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