In this talk I thank the Society for Freshwater Science for recognizing my work with the Award of Excellence. Tracing the evolution of my thinking on disturbance and resilience from my student days (working exclusively in streams) to my emphases today on climate change impacts and adaptation in streams and cities, I discuss the value of long-term research, the importance of collaboration, systems thinking and transdisciplinary approaches, and the urgency of finding solutions for problems of the Anthropocene.