Whether you want more happiness, less stress, or to build your resilience reserves, the key is to get FAT -- flexible, accurate and thorough -- about your thinking. The ripple effects will astound you.

It's this ability to stay connected, to stand by each other, that has kept the people of Boston strong during one of the worst weeks in the city's storied history. But they're not the only ones who have the ability to shore up resilience. You do. I do.

Aurora, Tuscon, Newtown, and now Boston. In light of so many terrorizing incidences, from a psychological standpoint, it's normal -- and healthy -- to feel fear.

Americans all feel closer to the city of Boston. Even Yankees fans can put aside their rivalry in the face of tragedy. Why do we feel closer to others in times of crisis? There is a prominent framework in social psychology called "terror management theory" that helps us to understand this behavior.

An undefeated mind isn't one that never feels discouraged or despairing; it's one that continues on in spite of it.

If you know you are susceptible to certain pitfalls like drinking, overeating, isolating yourself or ruminating, now is the time for those "prepare or risk despair' interventions that may enable you to preempt those unhealthy habits.

"Orchid children" are highly sensitive to their environment, especially to the quality of parenting they receive. If neglected, orchid children promptly wither -- but if they are nurtured, they not only survive but flourish.

Barbara Fredrickson's research has revealed that positivity is the main mechanism for resilience. Hence, a main determinant of resilience is the ability to foster and amplify positive emotions when we are swimming in a sea of negativity.