When journalist David Carmona traveled to Ukraine, he expected danger, fear, and uncertainty. What he didn’t anticipate was how much the experience would teach him about himself—and about resilience. Reporting from Kyiv, amid air raids and dinners with friends, he learned that purpose and calm can coexist even in chaos. These seven lessons, drawn from his time in a war zone, hold universal truths for thriving under stress—whether in conflict zones or everyday life.
1. Anticipation Is the Hardest Part
The weeks before his trip were filled with anxiety, a feeling psychologists call anticipatory anxiety—the dread that builds before facing something uncertain. But once on the ground, the fear faded. Kyiv felt unexpectedly normal, reminding him that fear often exaggerates what lies ahead. In most situations, from job interviews to major life changes, the waiting is worse than the doing. Once we act, fear loses its grip and presence takes over.
2. Community and Service Give Purpose
In Ukraine, Carmona saw how purpose could sustain a nation. Everyone—from soldiers to Uber drivers—shared a unified mission: preserving their way of life. Psychologists helping civilians used existential therapy to restore meaning after trauma. He realized that people back home could learn from this—service and shared purpose build strength. Whether volunteering, mentoring, or working toward collective goals, we rediscover clarity when we act for something bigger than ourselves.
3. Safety Is Often an Illusion
Ironically, Ukraine’s citizens feared visiting the U.S. more than living under air raids. In Kyiv, danger came with warnings, alarms, and clear enemy lines. In America, mass shootings erupt without warning. This insight reframed Carmona’s view of safety: security isn’t just physical—it’s psychological. Knowing how to respond, rather than pretending danger doesn’t exist, may be the truest form of safety.
4. People Want to Talk About Hard Things
While reporting in Bucha, he expected silence about trauma. Instead, survivors eagerly shared their stories, often stopping him on the street to talk. Their openness taught him that talking heals, not hurts. When someone faces grief or loss, asking questions and listening deeply can offer comfort. Most people don’t need polished words—they need someone willing to hear them.
5. Wellness Is a Survival Tool
Before heading to Ukraine, Carmona completed a Hostile Environment First Aid Training course. The instructors stressed the basics: mindfulness, hydration, sleep, stretching, and controlled breathing. In high-stress situations, these small acts of self-care determine endurance. He compared it to covering Black Lives Matter protests years earlier, when he relied on sleeping pills to cope with adrenaline. In Kyiv, he vowed instead to meditate after air raids and rest when he could. In any demanding environment, physical and emotional discipline keeps us resilient.
6. Follow the Checklist
Preparation saves lives. Whether for war reporting or hiking, Carmona relied on structured lists—security plans, medical kits, State Department forms. This echoed Atul Gawande’s “Checklist Manifesto”: in moments of stress, structure grounds us. Routines and preparedness transform fear into focus. Life’s challenges, he found, are less overwhelming when broken down into actionable steps.
7. Post-Traumatic Growth Is Real
Perhaps the most powerful insight came from witnessing post-traumatic growth—a concept coined by psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun. It’s the idea that suffering can lead to renewed strength, gratitude, and transformation. Watching amputee veterans in rehabilitation centers climb mountains, form adaptive sports teams, and engineer prosthetics proved that brokenness can fuel greatness. As Hemingway once wrote, “The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are stronger at the broken places.”
War sharpened Carmona’s understanding of resilience. It isn’t about invincibility or denial of fear—it’s about adaptability, meaning, and self-care in the face of the unpredictable. Whether in Kyiv or at home, we can live with the same urgency, gratitude, and clarity that survival demands.
