Stories & Perspectives on Resilience Building

We’ve shared some incredible stories of resilience below that we hope will help you on your journey towards building up your resilience.

Sandra Herdocia Monica

Well, where to begin? We both immigrated from our home country of Nicaragua as teenagers. So
happened that we each went to live with our respective older brothers who were married with their
own families. We both finished high school in America. We learned to adapt and assimilate to a new
language, a new culture, and a new country as teenagers. Funny enough, we both also have 3 kids each. Read more>>

Nieca Moore

I believe my resilience came from the start of my alcohol company. To get to that part of the story let me start from the beinging. In 2015 while pregnant with my 3rd child I decided to quit my corporate job, step out on faith and start my event design company. I was very successful designing wedding and events for clients. Read more>>

Jemila MacEwan

Resilience comes from experience. You only know how resilient you are if you have travelled through all kinds of adversities. As humans we suffer greatly and often. It’s how we meet that suffering that matures us. Whenever I am at a low point I focus my attention on correcting my attitude, so that I am able to learn and grow so that I can actually benefit from the hard times.  Read more>>

Sheka Petit

I got it from two ways actually. The first one comes from my faith in God. Trusting him through the dark days was my character development. And that’s where the second one comes in play. My self-confidence watered my resilience until it sprouted and became unshakable or should I say unbreakable. Read more>>

Cait Alexander

After being nearly murdered by my ex partner in Canada in 2021 and having the case thrown out by the system because they “didn’t have time,” I’ve learned to be tough while being graceful and accept the darkest outcomes and finding the light. Read more>>

Yoseph Assefa

Resilience is a quality that often forms under the pressure of life’s difficulties, and for me, it has been shaped and honed by a series of profound experiences throughout my life. Growing up, I was deeply inspired by my grandmother, a woman who faced unimaginable hardship and yet emerged with an indomitable spirit. Her journey began in Ethiopia, where she experienced the devastating loss of her husband, who was killed during the Derg regime. Read more>>

Taniesha Hanson-DePluzer

Resilience has been a cornerstone of my life, even before I fully understood its presence within me. Reflecting on my childhood, I realize that my resilience began to take shape during those formative years, often without my conscious awareness. Read more>>

James DeLaRosa

I believe to be resilient and to have great testimony you must be tested, having the notion deep within my soul, that I want to discover the authentic pure essence of my heritage drives my resiliency. As a chef, it is important to be in love with the work, as it is arduous at times , and it is through this practice of love for my art I have found myself. Read more>>

Spencer Walker

My resilience stems from a combination of my diverse background and the philosophies that guide me. As a U.S. Marine, I faced extreme challenges that demanded mental and physical toughness. This experience was foundational, teaching me discipline, perseverance, and the importance of camaraderie. Read more>>

Victoria – Agustina Cufré – Fernández

Argentina, a country that, while marked by continuous economic crises, has a very strong culture of sharing with family and friends. Argentines, even those of us who live in other countries, build and cultivate our social networks on a daily basis. It helps us stay positive and face adverse situations with the assurance that we will be accompanied by our loved ones throughout the process. Read more>>

Suzane Bacelar

I love this question! My resilience comes from knowing that in life, you either find success or make excuses. I believe that problems are just a normal part of the journey. When you expect them, you can handle them better. Read more>>

Gizem Atalay

Growing up, I often had to prove myself and stand up for my choices, especially when I decided to pursue a career in art. It was not an easy path, as I had to navigate it alone without anyone to guide me. Many times, I had no option but to trust my instincts, and through perseverance, I managed to forge my own way. Read more>>

Liz Seligman

I got my resilience from a few different sources. My main source is that I have a passion for my work. I have created a successful business doing what I love and am blessed to have had the ability to have done it. I work very hard and always remeber what my father taught me “if you want something, you have to work your ass off to make it happen!” Read more>>

Robert Ortiz Archila

My resiliency comes directly from my lived experience. After serving in the US Army as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, I came home and failed to adjust back to civilian life. After years of a heavy drug and alcohol addiction which led me to incarceration, I was able to use my resiliency to tap into the restorative power of education. My resiliency is rooted in community service. Read more>>

Ava Walker

Ahhhh, I don’t think I’ve ever asked myself this question before. First and foremost my faith in God, he’s answered every single prayer I can think of by far. Resilience is what I believe we are all made of. I just remember being as young as a teenager and figuring things out alone.  Read more>>

Xiangyue Meng

During my university years, I pursued two different degrees and started a third major in my junior year. Therefore, under such intense academic pressure, strong self-regulation was essential. This drive came from my desire to study what I love and to constantly improve myself. These motivations helped me develop my resilience. Read more>>

Zae G

I grew up homeless as a adolescent.  Read more>>

Ainsley Guzman Jason

My resilience comes from my belief that failure is a mental construct that inhibits growth. In reality, we don’t actually fail — we undergo processes of learning and growth. In my artistic career, I’ve pivoted directions several times. For example, after running a successful sneaker customization business for three years, I chose to quit accepting commissions altogether so that I could focus on expressing my own artistic vision. Read more>>

Clara Park

One of my old chefs used to say, “It’s not how hard you fall, it’s about how quickly you get back up!” My mom always said, “You do your best and I believe in you.” My resilience comes from all the people that have loved and supported me my whole life. Obviously the most supportive were my parents but a close second are the mentors and friends who have become like family. Read more>>

Brittinie Love

When it comes to resilience, I find that the only way to build it… is when you are faced with adversity. There was no blue print for me when it came to walking into entrepreneurship. For most of my life, all of the adults around me, Showed me resilience when faced with being laid off, wrongfully terminated, and challenges in their corporate America.  Read more>>

Niyati Desai

My resilience is rooted deeply in my upbringing and life experiences. Raised by hardworking parents, I learned the value of persistence and determination early on. Their relentless work ethic and unwavering commitment to our family instilled in me the strength to face challenges head-on. Read more>>

Kylie Thompson

Moving from Wisconsin to Colorado – where I knew no one – to open TANCO. Sunless certainly required a lot of resilience, but to be honest I think I just knew that my dream of making people feel confident in their own skin was stronger than the fear I had (and sometimes still have) of failure. Read more>>

Elaine Abich Garcia

I get my resilience from my upbringing in Mexico and the challenges I’ve faced throughout my life. Growing up with divorced parents and very few luxuries, I learned the value of hard work and developed a strong work ethic early on. These experiences forced me to grow up quickly and handle responsibilities beyond my years. Read more>>

Blanka Amezkua

I believe my resilience comes from my parents, as I observed their dedication to their family, to life despite the numerous challenges they faced as immigrants in a foreign country, a country quite different from their place of birth. My resilience also comes from seeing and learning from my local community members, in the infinite ways they confront all of their challenges on a daily basis. Read more>>

Elya Lane

I am not sure developing resilience was ever a choice I had. When you are faced with life or death options, your only two choices are to become resilient and overcome your circumstances or give up. My kids also gave me the strength to keep fighting on days I felt the most broken. Over the years, as my condition worsened and my health declined, it took more and more energy to fight back – but I never gave up. Read more>>

Antoinette Savage

Resilience, for me, is more than just a trait; it’s a legacy from my mother, Florence Rogers Adams. At 85, soon to be 86 this September, she truly represents strength and perseverance. Her life story shows the power of steadfast determination and love. Read more>>

Yana Nosenko

From life. I believe that we all grow, learn, and become stronger because of our personal experiences. Friedrich Nietzsche famously stated, “Out of life’s school of war — what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” I was raised with this aphorism and to this day, I truly believe that no matter how hard any situation is, I will find a way and a solution. Read more>>

JaNeshia Wilson

My journey hasn’t been easy. As a Black woman, my life was never a straight path. Raised by a single parent and grandparents, I learned early on about perseverance and self-reliance. My mom struggled with drugs and domestic abuse, fighting her own battles with inherited traumas. Read more>>

Shauntelle Malcolm-Wisdom

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story of resilience, deeply rooted in the examples set by my mother and grandmother. My grandmother was the first generation to move to America from Jamaica, with very little support and resources. She lost her mother at a young age and was raised by her grandmother, who instilled in her a strong faith in God and unwavering values. Read more>>

Sejal Mittal

Resilience, for me, comes from several key sources. Firstly, my family has always been a strong pillar of support. Their unwavering belief in me gives me the strength to keep going, even at times I am struggling to have a clear vision or goal. Read more>>

Michele Cannon

Thinking upon the fact that neither of my parents achieved their dream. My father dreamt of being an entrepreneur. He was brilliant actually. Graduated valedictorian of his class in 1947. For reasons unknown to me, his didn’t go to college. I have my theories, however. He joined the Army and fought in the Korean War. Read more>>

Neysa Clayton

As a creative, before moving to LA, I found myself feeling stuck. Despite having great jobs and opportunities, I wasn’t feeling fulfilled. Determined not to settle or play it safe, I took on a heavy workload to gain the experiences I needed for my dream career. The journey has been rocky and unpredictable, but I’ve always bounced back, handling situations better each time. I’ve realized that the tough times were necessary lessons. Read more>>

Nora Hawari

Resilience has been engrained into my being since childhood, that’s when my chronic illness first began. I started experiencing chronic pain all over my body at the age of 10 years old and it was so excruciating that I found myself in the hospital at least once a month. It was exhausting, scary, and I didn’t think I was going to make it. Read more>>

Julie McDaniel

I have been through so much in my life, both blessings and heartaches. Every time I get knocked down, I take the opportunity to move on and get better. It would be easy to be bitter or accept defeat, but I try to use all my experiences to improve. Events such as my parents getting a divorce when I was six, the death of my grandmother I lived with when I was nine, moving across the state when I was 11, and court hearings as a teenager could have broken me.  Read more>>

Zerik Brown

My resilience comes from my mother. She was a great women who never gave up despite the obstacles she was faced with. She was a provider an alsoa great nurturer for her children an when things were going wrong she always did her best to give me an my brother an great life! Read more>>

brianna Brown Keen

My resilience is a product of both challenges and triumphs from an early age. As a child, I encountered obstacles that taught me invaluable lessons about perseverance and dedication. Despite initial struggles, I discovered the transformative power of practice and repetition, a trait perhaps fueled by my innate sense of meticulousness. Read more>>

Kelly Fung

I got my resilience from the way I grew up. Most people see me as this strong, outspoken person, but growing up, I was not that way. With many years of therapy and my amazing support system I have become this way. I wouldn’t say I grew up horribly; it was just different. Read more>>

Shino Bay Aguilera

“I draw my resilience from overcoming adversity and embracing the energy of change. Born into poverty in Panama City, Panama, I endured various forms of child abuse and bullying. I am no stranger to pain, suffering from severe asthma, neglect, and abuse. Despite these challenges, an inner voice guided me with love and compassion, helping me transform hate into love, pain into pride, and disease into supreme health.” Read more>>

Louise Child

This is such a great question because so many of us are on our own individual journey of healing. For me, I have needed to be resilient from a young age growing up estranged from my biological mother, and then later having an awful thing happen in my life which for those who don’t know I’ll just say it was as traumatic & life changing as you can imagine intimate partner violence to be. Read more>>

Bobbi Petersen

Courage and adaptability further bolster my resilience. Embracing change and facing fears, as evidenced by my decision to leave my old company and start anew, demonstrate my ability to confront and manage uncertainty. This bravery allows me to take calculated risks, knowing that potential rewards outweigh the fears. Read more>>

Melanie Kallai

When I was a little girl, my grandfather let me sweep his office to earn a few bucks for spending money. He told me that maybe one day if I worked hard enough, I could become someone’s secretary—a high honor for a woman in his patriarchal eyes.  Read more>>

Jessica Garcia

My resilience comes from a mix of passion, support, and perspective. I’m deeply passionate about what I do, which keeps me going even when things get tough. Having a strong support system of family, friends, and fellow creators helps a lot, too. Read more>>

Laomo Wang

My personal understanding of “resilience” is the ability to continuously face and deal with problems encountered in life and work. I try not to force myself to do things when I am not in a good state. For example, I choose to take a break after working for a while, allowing both my body and mind ample time to recover, so that I can face subsequent work and life in a better state. Read more>>

Luci Capo Rome

I got my resilience from being born with craniofacial difference. Having craniofacial difference, I have learned to survive many challenges since my birth which have led to my buoyancy throughout my life journey and I never gave up! Embracing myself at every turning point. Which was not always easy. Read more>>

Lianne Almeida

My resilience definitely comes from my childhood and the village that raised me. Growing up with immigrant parents gave me a unique perspective on life. My family came here without speaking English, never attended college, and yet achieved so much. I watched them run businesses, juggle multiple roles, and navigate countless challenges with determination. Read more>>

bolin zhou

I think Resilience is about bouncing back from setbacks and staying strong through the ups and downs of your career. The quicker you recover, the tougher you get, and overtime it thickens your skin. In my work, I always aim to deliver extraordinarily high level of work to boost my portfolio in my career. Success in the creative world means consistently producing exceptional work. Read more>>

Debbie Cochran

My resilience comes from having a good support system, keeping positive people around me. Keeping a positive attitude is important through the ups and downs. Never giving up. Read more>>

Judith Lindbergh

I’ve been knocked down more times than I can count. I’m surprised I’m still all in one piece, and honestly, stronger than ever. My first career goal was to be a ballerina. This wasn’t the fantasy of a little girl in a tutu. I trained for over a decade and was really very good, but my body decided that it wanted to be rounder than a ballet dancer’s ideal permitted. I was about sixteen, and too young to understand that my life wasn’t quite over yet. Read more>>

Tony GREEN

I get the resilience from the fear of not fulfilling my purpose in life. Read more>>

Laprè

Resilience runs in my family, i get it specifically from my mom and my grandma. No matter how things looked, i watched them preserver and push through life and any obstacles that came their way. I am blessed to be able to inherit those same traits and it has been one of my greatest benefits through life. Read more>>

Matt Kohanbash

My resilience is deeply rooted in a family legacy of courage and perseverance. Born in Iran, my family left for the United States when I was a young child, seeking safety from religious persecution. This journey from Iran to America wasn’t just a physical relocation; it was a leap into a completely different world. Read more>>

Elizabeth Gorcey

My resilience came from growing up 85 pounds overweight. During my childhood, my peers were relentless with their teasing and name calling towards my body. I grew up in a family that was called “the fat family”- we were all overweight. I remember being very aware of how my body was different but I didn’t really know what to do; we all tried diets (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig etc.) but nothing really worked. Read more>>

Leann Woodley

My children are my EVERYTHING. I push forward even when I think that I can not push anymore, because I am the one that protects them and sets the example for them. They learn through me what to fight for and what to release. Read more>>

Belle Alatorre

My resilience stems from my family. My mom moved to the states when she was 8 years old from Mexico. She had not seen her mom or dad in years because they came to the US early on. When she saw my grandma she told me she did not recognize her. She would tell me stories of her childhood and I could feel the pain. Read more>>