TESTIMONIALS – Pathfinder Resilience

Thanks for being willing to mentor us through this series. I have been enjoying learning new tidbits of knowledge in each section. I have been working to do the Foundations training each day and have been working on the 9 –second hugs with my wife. I've been doing the cold shower challenge and I must say it is invigorating both mentally and physically - certainly puts a zing in your step. While I have been working on the tactical breathing 4X4, the breathing exercise we did this week was mind opening. I didn’t think I could hold my breath for a minute and thirty seconds but when I did, I did become aware of my heartbeat, blood flowing and more.

As an older dog – 33 years in law enforcement and a guy in his mid 50’s, I am truly enjoying this course and adding tools to my belt. I am hoping I can still have access to these tools as we completed the series as there is so much info, even though I take notes, I want to go back and use these tools over and over to help ingrain them into my lifestyle.

Learning about stress and money were very helpful. Seems like I haven’t been able to stop and think about these things in years. When I’m being smart with my money I’m happier and I need that safety net. All of the subjects covered were extremely important to our lives. Great stuff. Thank you so much!

I feel this course helps teach and reinforce a foundation of mental health that is needed in law enforcement but can be applied to any aspect of one's life. I would like this course to be something widely acceptable and used as regular training just as firearm proficiency and muscle memory. I think deep down we know all the pillars in some form or fashion but may not know them by their name or how deeply important they are. This training gives them a name, explains what they are and why they are important and how to build off them. We often talk about our tool chest in LE, such as command presence, the tools on your belt, investigative resources. I would like to see the fundamentals of this course normalized and becoming a normal tool we reach into our toolbox to uses on a daily basis.

Public safety is not an easy job. I think you prepare for the worst of physical injury but no one discusses the emotional affect. Yes, in the academy they glaze over emotional health but it is not a norm in our culture. I think courses such as this help change that culture and help individuals identify what works for them to maintain through this job.

I’m glad to say that I used a lot of topics covered in the course to overcome difficult time in my personal life even more in the last four months. After the loss of my younger 50-year-old brother from a sudden heart attack, a week later I lost my 84-year-old mother. Then after dealing with these losses, I tested positive for COVID-19 and spent the next 40 days in hospital, 20 of which were in the ICU. But I’m glad to say that I used a lot of what I learned in this course to overcome the virus and to truly understand what it took to do so - resilience. Moreover, now I know I have the resilience to recover and hopefully return to work soon.

I took away tools that help with keeping your emotions in check when having to deal with a problem. Don't be a 'hot head', think and breathe before you speak. Just do it! Seriously, if you're struggling with expressing yourself or speaking up, this would probably be a good guide to help you feel comfortable and help you grow.