We’ve shared some incredible stories of resilience below that we hope will help you on your journey towards building up your resilience.
Alana Cooper-Russ
Throughout the bible, we can locate several scriptures and stories of the word “resilience” being lived out. For example, the bible encourages us not to become weary in well doing, that IF we don’t faint, it is guaranteed that we will reap in our due season. (Galatians 6:9) There is a key here, “IF” is conditional and based on our ability to remain resilient no matter what. There is indeed a season with your name on it, only IF you don’t give up. Another example is the Apostles in the book of Acts, look at how many of them received harsh punishment and sufferings all because of their faith in Jesus Christ and their audacity to preach such. Nevertheless, they persevered. Read more>>
Stephanie Mason
The source of my resilience stems from the remarkable role models of my upbringing: my mother, grandmother, and sister. These three exceptional women have exemplified the idea that, no matter the challenges I encounter, I hold the power to shape the outcome of my life. Their teachings have instilled in me the importance of perseverance and maintaining a positive perspective. Read more>>
Miz.Clover
My resilience comes from my passion for music, really for any creative outlet. I’ve always been drawn to the arts since I was a kid, whether it was through drawing, painting, writing and singing. I always had this ceaseless itch to do something with my creativity. Its not a matter of wanting but rather that I must. I think a lot of creative people have the same urge, its difficult to explain but there is a word that comes to mind when I think on it, it’s a calling. Read more>>
Isea
My resilience stems from the incredible example set by my mom. She’s been the cornerstone of my inspiration, demonstrating unwavering determination and resilience in the face of challenges. Witnessing her relentless work ethic and enduring spirit has instilled in me a deep-rooted sense of resilience. I’ve had my share of getting knocked down and having to pick myself back up. I’ve had my moments of discomfort. Read more>>
Dr. Gail James
From overcoming childhood trauma like sexual abuse and domestic violence. I had to choose to be great inspite of the fact that my mother said and felt that I would never amount to anything. I was determined to make sure her and my siblings opinion of me did not come my reality. Read more>>
Alexander Vallejos
Nature. I like to plant trees and watch them grow. Observing how they sway in the wind. How they recover from broken limbs to create new branches. How they go dormant in the winter and blossom in the summer. It’s a reminder to me that all things have seasons. To not fret if something doesn’t go right, a new path or branch will appear. That it’s ok to sway for a bit, and allow you to go with the flow. Read more>>
Kaye Askins
I have been very blessed to have many, many “aha!” moments when I think about times I’ve had to have grit and resilience in trying situations, and each time there has been someone in my corner letting me cry, validating my feelings, helping me turn my upset into action. Read more>>
Mocha Moore
Resilience is defined as: “the capacity to withstand or to bounce back quickly from tragedies and/or difficult situations.” I could really write a book in addition to giving a paragraph or two of how this one word is the core to my forward moving and thinking process. And if I had to some the answer up in one word, without sounding morbid, it would be DEATH! Read more>>
Meghan Jones
Resilience is most likely one of the biggest reasons I am succeeding as an online holistic health coach, and it comes from decades in a professional orchestra career … As well as how I’m internally wired … Though there’s a fine line between all of my training and “just how I am”! Read more>>
Hayley J Croom
There’s the old joke about a former gifted kid dressing up for Halloween; when asked what they’re supposed to be, they reply, “I was supposed to be a lot of things.” Growing up, I was acutely aware of other people’s expectations of me. I was a bright, creative, articulate only child of British immigrants, and there were plenty of ideas about what I should do with my life: writer, artist, academic, teacher, psychologist, actor, luminary. There weren’t a lot of concrete suggestions as to how I was to make these dreams happen, but it was assumed that I was a smart kid, I’d figure it out. The world was my oyster, & it was up to me to figure out how to shuck it. Read more>>
Amin H Sharif
Building resilience and consistency in one’s artistic journey is a gradual process. It requires years of dedication, practice, and keen observation to discover one’s true artistic niche and achieve stability in work. In my case, undergoing successive migrations—from Iran to Italy, back to Iran, and finally settling in California—adds an extra layer of challenge to maintaining work stability, particularly when dealing with new cultures and languages. Read more>>
Nazli Tahvili
Many times, in my professional journey, I’ve faced disappointment and frustration due to incorrect feedback and neglect of my work. This led me to shift towards independent work, distancing myself from profit-driven institutions. Though working alone isn’t easy, it fosters proactive management and a spirit of seeking. The benefits of this approach are valuable. Read more>>
Andrea Matteucci
Resilience can be part of your personality or can be something you see in other people and you try to absorb it. Personally I learned a lot from my father and brother and I also had some amazing mentors since I moved here in Texas. If you want it you can make it happen. Read more>>
Aylin Yin
I get my resilience from my trauma and failures. Life guarantees you experiences, both good and bad. I made sure I took the good with me and turned the bad into lessons that gave me experience. Failures were lessons that taught me how to try again to succeed. Success is sometimes a trial and error. You cannot succeed without failing and resilience. Read more>>
Briana Campbell
My resilience? It’s undoubtedly inherited from my mother, the epitome of strength in my eyes. She’s a beacon of perseverance, having triumphed over both domestic violence and breast cancer. As a career woman who single-handedly raised four children, her resilience was more than just words—it was a living example for us. She instilled in us the belief that true failure isn’t in falling down, but in refusing to rise and try again. Her life taught us to embrace our setbacks as lessons, urging us to approach challenges with a renewed perspective and an improved approach. That’s the ethos I bring into every aspect of my life. Read more>>
Nisha D
I can honestly say I have been through so many things in my life that could have destroyed me or torn me down. However, I try not to allow those things to define me. Once I started building a relationship with God I was able to persevere through a lot of life’s troubles much better. I used to be the person that would get upset or just be angry but I learned grace & mercy from the Lord. I now look to God for my answers, I believe that God will make all things anew and I just live with peace in my heart that everything will be ok according to Gods word! Read more>>
Simone Reynolds
This is a great question, thank you for asking. Resilience is birthed within the trenches of uncomfortable circumstances. I developed my resilience through life experiences that have aided me in becoming a strong individual. Through each trial, regardless of age, I have been able to transmute that pain into purpose and have continued to build and work toward the goal of becoming my optimal, most healed, and happy self. Read more>>
Thurayyah Pitts
My resilience comes from me knowing that quitting is not an option as that is the only time we truly fail. If I don’t like my current situation , if I quit my current situation becomes my permanent situation and that’s not an option. Now don’t get me wrong,.my current situation isn’t necessarily a bad situation it just isn’t the end for me and I know I am destined for greatness! Read more>>
Brittany Heyden
That is a deep question! I was raised by a very strong and loving mother, but life growing up wasn’t the easiest. I was very shy and lacked confidence, but
I longed to be a better version myself. I worked hard, learned from mistakes, course corrected when necessary, but always keep moving forward. Even when I was engulfed in tragedy and life got very dark and dismal, I never gave up; I continually evolved.
Delvira Rodrigues
My resilience comes from the journey that brought me here. As an immigrant in the U.S., every step was a challenge, from the language to the culture. But those early struggles taught me to keep going, to never give up. When I started my small food business, it was no different. Times got tough, but remembering where I came from, the miles I’ve traveled, that’s what fuels my resilience. It’s the belief that every hurdle is just a step closer to success and a better life. Read more>>
Katy Johnson
Resilience is a concept that deeply resonates with me, as my life has been marked by numerous challenges. I endured a difficult childhood and adolescence, and my journey into adulthood was punctuated by two major traumatic events. It all began with the tragic loss of my ex-partner of four years to suicide in my twenties, followed by a divorce that took a significant toll on me in every aspect of my life. Even as recently as two years ago, I experienced the heartbreaking loss of my closest friend to cancer. Read more>>
Jesse Bliss
There is a burning passion in me for life and work. That is what keeps me resilient plus the practice of endurance and keeping my circumstances in perspective. My mother left my father when I was 6 months old. She had 3 husbands. They all did her dirt, but 2 of them were violent, including my father. Life was unpredictable and tumultuous from the get. I used the resilience I was born equipped with all day, every day. As an artist, that has come to benefit me. Read more>>
Ron Godfrey
I get my resilience from my Mother. After her she divorced my father and before she married my stepfather, I watched my mother do what she had to do to get things done. For over 20 years, she worked a full-time job and in the midst of that, she picked up a part-time job. I watched her grind in order to make life good for both of us. She hardly ever complained about anything. There were times when she would go into work not feeling her best, but she went because she was on a mission and had goals in mind. Read more>>
Jessica Walker
You can feel truly powerless when fighting cancer. There is so much out of your hands, so having my business to support the cancer community makes me feel like I’m leading my own tiny rebellion against a disease that took so much from me. Making a difference where I can through the talents I possess is a gift. Read more>>
Tyler Lee Frush
I think there comes a point in most artists lives where they have to make a decision, what does it mean to create, and how much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to bring your art to the world? I found myself asking that question. One night, as I was getting ready to finally sleep, I saw myself in the mirror. I saw my ribs, my collarbones, my hips. Read more>>
Shina Reynolds
Where do I get my resilience from? This article focuses on my career as an author, but I want to get a little more personal for this first question. Because while I’m an author, yes, I’m also a complex human—shaped by my experiences—just like the rest of us. And I feel a responsibility when discussing resiliency to acknowledge that we, as individuals, often cultivate resiliency from experiencing trauma. Read more>>
Anita Polite-Wilson
Being resilient is a family trait passed down from my great grandfather who was a formerly enslaved person. Even without any rights or possessions of his own, he carried himself in such a way as to have earned the nickname of Polite and that was his identity. When he was freed, instead of following tradition by taking the last name of his former slave owner, he chose the name Polite to be his last name. There is even a portion of his life story written in history book about the early days of Brunswick, Georgia. Read more>>
Afra Brown
I get most of my resilience from my upbringing. As a child, I was born into a prejudice environment. In my small southern town, there was always adversity that I had to face. I learned from a young age that certain people judge you based on what you look like and the color of your skin. This was never easy, but luckily I had parents who taught me to stand up in the face of adversity. This way of thinking still serves me to this day. This is why I chose to write children’s books based on societal issues like racism and tolerance. Read more>>
Cristal Jordan
Have you experienced a situation where you’ve emotionally been punched in the gut and just froze in fear? Did you quit living or caring because that gut punch was so extremely painful that staying dormant was just easier? Or were you determined to get back up, dust yourself off and find the strength to move forward, take the lesson and kick ass again? Read more>>
Trey Gordon
I’d say that my resilience comes from my struggles in life. Whenever I experience hardship or any sort of challenge I sort of internalize it and let it fuel what I do whether it be my art or my job at the time. A situation that sticks with me to this day and has greatly influenced me today was when I was ostracized from a church for being LGBT+. I was coming into my sexuality then and they did not like the fact that I was sort of leading a double life. I knew I wasn’t straight and they soon learned that as well. Read more>>
Pilar Gonzalez
My resilience was learned and is fueled by a few things, firstly, my mom – I will always give her credit whenever I have the opportunity to. My mom raised my brothers and me by herself and with the help of my aunts and uncles when we were at our most awkward – tweenhood. My mom, the amazing Yrene Santos, is also an artist – she is a poet and an educator who both directly and indirectly taught us that there is no limit to what we can do. This, thankfully, became my inner voice as I grew up and also chose an artistic life. Read more>>
Drew Harwood
I think it’s all about perspective. To me, I like doing things I fear, so I’m always drawn to taking risks. I’ve had a pretty colorful life, so I don’t really feel like I have much to lose, therefore I don’t feel like I’m putting anything at risk. Anything I do, I always want to feel like I can’t do it, that way I have to fight to make it out alive. I believe if you just choose to do things that are easy, you never change, which means you never grow. A teacher of mine used to always say in class, “Every day, you’re either getting a little better or a little worse.” This is just the truth, like it or not. Read more>>
King Benjamin
My resilience comes from not knowing how to give up. I realize a long time ago if I quit I would have to rediscover who I was as a person but I was always the person I wanted to be. I never wanted go down a different path once I discovered writing. If nothing else I’m great writer. Read more>
Yassin Hall
My journey as an entrepreneur and an individual who has confronted profound mental health challenges and a turbulent past is a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit. It is often said that the most vibrant flowers flourish in the harshest of conditions, and I stand as living proof of that adage. Read more>>
Brenda Backal
This are very tough questions butI can tell you that no one is going to stop me from getting to where I want to be, I have fallen many times and many times I have stood up and kept going no. matter what the situation is in front of me, as an example, I worked for the Los Angeles Rams for three years, not knowing anything about football or what they eat and how much, or howI was going to feed 150 people everyday by myself, I learn that I cant do it alone, so I hire help, I created a routine that let me be who I’m. Read more>>
Brittnei Henderson
As the CEO of Brain, my resilience stems from the support of my team. They are the backbone of our company, providing the necessary support to help us persevere through challenges. Our team follows the mantra of “resilience over complacency,” reminding us to prioritize resilience in the face of adversity. We have a culture of staying on top of each other, offering encouragement, guidance, and assistance during difficult times. This collective effort and mutual support within the team contribute greatly to my personal resilience as a CEO, allowing us to navigate obstacles and maintain a strong sense of determination. Read more>>
Kendra Theroith
I draw my resilience from my mother, a remarkable woman whose life was a story of unwavering strength and love. Born in Tchula, Mississippi, as the oldest of twelve siblings, she started her life as a cotton picker and a maid. Yet, she never let her circumstances define her future. She was a devoted single mother to five children, including me and my twin sister, as well as another set of twins, my brothers. Her journey of going back to school, earning her GED, and then her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, all while raising us, was nothing short of heroic. She was even pursuing her Ph.D. when she passed away at the young age of 48 due to stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Read more>>
LaJoyce Williams
My resilience runs deep. With Mississippi roots in tow my parents not only instilled in me the importance and power of resilience as a little girl they were the perfect models for what resilience looks like. My parents were born in Vicksburg Mississippi during a time where prayer, hard work and resilience is all they had, Segregation was a thing but it was the thing my parents were determined to escape. Read more>>
Garrett Wolfston
At 14 years old, I was the fastest kid on the track, running almost a sub 6-minute mile. I was perfectly built to join our traveling sports teams, with dreams of becoming a soccer star. However, by 15, at the start of my freshman year, I became the slowest runner. What happened? I remember desperately trying to keep up with the other kids, but my lungs filled with fluid. One day, while hitting golf balls and consistently shanking them into the woods, I became frustrated and my heart rate soared to 200 beats per minute. Read more>>
Ashley Gonzalez
To say my resilience came from just one thing wouldn’t shine light on all the people and things in my life that I draw strength from. I have been very fortunate over the years to have had fantastic mentors along the way. Some taught me how to do some damn good hair, how to think like a successful stylist while I was working to become one, to always trust my hustle, and to be a cheerleader for not only the wins of those around me but for myself. Read more>>
K Lobo
Through the path of life, I’ve dealt with the weight of the world in more ways than I can count. Through childhood, adolescence, blooming adulthood and beyond, I’ve had to ensure that I’ve held myself together in a way that would keep me from crumbling with each and every sign of adversity. After having children and leaving the father of my children at the incredibly tender and young age of 22, I found that my resilience faced me in the eyes of my children. Read more>>
Christianna Carmine
Hmm. I would have to say my resilience grew out of a combination of my childhood experiences and my inherent nature. I was a mixed-race kid in an all white suburb and faced some intense bullying from a young age through my teens. It didn’t help that I was also diagnosed with ADD with processing disorder either. I repeatedly heard from peers, teachers, even my guidance counselor, that I wouldn’t amount to much because of my neurodivergence – which they just saw as me being dumb. Thankfully, my parents believed in my abilities – despite the fact that I made them crazy with how all over the place I was! Read more>>
Deborah Engerman
I believe my resilience comes from two aspects of my life. First, my deep sense of responsibility to be the best person I can be in service of making the world a better place. I was born feeling that ethical weight. So despite many life setbacks–childhood trauma, serious illnesses, etc., and the feeling that I rarely succeed in being the best human I can be, I consistently maintain the belief that I have the responsibility to figure it out and carry on. Read more>>
Akila Anderson
I attribute my resilience to a deep-seated desire for more in life. The constant pursuit of self-improvement, the eagerness to accomplish more, and the yearning for novel experiences fuel my growth as both an individual and an entrepreneur. A significant source of inspiration for my tenacity and determination is my grandfather. His unwavering spirit, characterized by an unyielding determination to overcome obstacles and find alternative paths when faced with challenges, has undoubtedly shaped my own approach to life. Read more>>
Katie Gardner
Growing up in a family of 7, (being number 4 of 5 kids) I learned a lot about resilience. As a child, we learn subconsciously, by observing. I never went hungry and I was never homeless. I saw parents that worked hard to give us the best life they could. I never felt like we weren’t rich, because all our needs were met. As I grew older, I learned that what I saw was, resilient parents. With 5 little kids, they started their own business, built a new home on their own, and were committed to building a successful life for our family. They ran across many obstacles but would never quit. Read more>>
