How can we as individuals and as a society confront the trauma, abuse, deprivation, and loss all around us? While we see stories on the news of people who have triumphed over difficult, sometimes unimaginable circumstances, many more struggle for some kind of normalcy, become paralyzed, or simply surrender to self-destructive coping methods.

We’ll never know what this senseless suffering has cost society.

I believe that learning how to support people who are fighting to reclaim their lives after trauma should be one of the grand challenges of our time. Let’s learn with these questions in mind:

1. What does everybody need to understand about trauma? What is it about this time that makes trauma-informed practices even more important?
2. As we meet and get to know new people, we don’t always know their trauma history. What can we do to ensure that we are connecting with them in a positive way?
3. How can we, both individually and as think pond members, tap into their talents and contribute to their success? What would be the ideal environment in which they could work, learn, and create successfully?