The Resilience Project
Finding Happiness Through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness
Hugh Van Cuylenburg
In a world where educators and school staff are often stretched thin, The Resilience Project offers a timely and accessible reminder of what helps us truly thrive: gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. Hugh van Cuylenburg weaves research, lived experience and everyday observations into a powerful, engaging narrative that challenges the notion that happiness lies in achievement or accumulation.
This book doesn’t lecture or prescribe. Instead, it invites reflection through stories that are equal parts vulnerable, funny and relatable. At its core, it offers a framework, GEM, that feels refreshingly grounded. These principles aren’t new, but van Cuylenburg’s ability to make them stick is what makes this book impactful. The strength lies in the way he simplifies wellbeing strategies without dumbing them down, making them relevant to both professional practice and personal life.
For teachers, school leaders and school staff, this is the kind of book you can pick up after a long day and still find energy in. It reminds us that small, consistent practices matter more than grand gestures when it comes to building resilience, both in ourselves and in those we lead.
Importantly, The Resilience Project doesn't promise to fix everything. It acknowledges that life is messy and that emotional struggles are part of the human experience. But it does offer a hopeful, practical path forward – one that prioritises connection, presence and gratitude over perfection or performance.
Whether you're in education, leadership or simply trying to lead a more intentional life, this book is a worthwhile read. It's the kind of resource that gets passed around in staffrooms, referenced in meetings, and returned to often. Van Cuylenburg doesn’t just write about resilience, he models it, and in doing so, invites us to do the same.
