Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of most of the wildly successful folks in our community have exhibit an extreme degree of resilience and we’ve come to believe that if our goal is to help our community achieve great outcomes we have to help build resources and knowledge around how one can become more resilient.

Sam Wages Johnson

My past drug addiction, Making it through my addiction showed me that you are much more powerful than you could fathom. If you learn how to get back up off the ground, find one or two people that have you back and believe in some sort of power greater than yourself, you can make it. Read more>>

Amanda Torres

Throughout the last five years of owning my small business, there have been many moments when giving up would have been easier than pushing through. I have come to realize that giving up would only steer me further away from my overall goals. I’ve also learned to embrace challenges and view them as learning opportunities and a way for my business to grow. This mindset shift has made all the difference in my success. Read more>>

Juanita Wall

My great grandmother. She was an extraordinary woman, a true pillar of strength and compassion. It’s incredible how she balanced so many roles—wife, mother, missionary, and more—while maintaining such a powerful presence in my life. Her ability to lead with both love and discipline, and to teach by example, left a profound impact on me. Read more>>

Jose Riesco

I get my resilience and strength from the joy of the LORD. When I am going through a challenging time I smile and thank God because He is good. I thank Him because I know He is going to get me through any challenges that I face. This encourages me not to quit and to instead have a good attitude and finish the race. Read more>>

Danielle Vauters

My name is Danielle “Dani” Vauters, and my life has been a tapestry woven with the threads of music, entertainment, and a relentless drive to uplift others. As a seasoned music professional, publicist, and podcaster, I’ve had the privilege of navigating both the glittering mainstream and the vibrant grassroots scenes. My journey, filled with highs and lows, is a testament to resilience, something I’ve come to embody through every twist and turn. Read more>>

P. Falasha Harrison

Let me take you on a journey through my life, a story woven with resilience and strength. My name is Falasha, and my path has been anything but easy, but it’s shaped me into the woman I am today. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to a teenage mom and a barely 19-year-old dad, both from Jamaica, living in the USA. From the very start, I came into this world under challenging circumstances. My maternal grandmother, a woman of incredible determination, worked three jobs to own her first of many homes. Read more>>

Meghan Coyle

Resilience comes from two places for me. My mom is a Vietnamese War refugee, and she immigrated to the U.S. without her parents at the age of 13. Learning my mom’s story of survival from the war, her experiences as a foster child in the U.S., and working her way out of poverty to eventually building a successful and fulfilling life for herself are reassuring to me that anything I face is surmountable. Read more>>

Danielle Hobbs

Man, what a question. When you realized you’ve survived hurricanes, a flooded car, surgeries, frightening medical diagnoses, failure and fears, my answer to the source of my resilience is simple as it is complex: my maker, Jesus Christ. It seems I’ve been fire tested my whole life. For a long time I thought God only protected us from danger, but my life is a testament to the opposite. Sometimes He leads me into storms. Over the years, I’ve learned to run towards them. The obstacles He caused me to charge through have been mind blowing. Read more>>

Jennasis Savage

I believe I get my resilience from my parents. My mother raised me as a single mom, and within the span of three years, she lost everyone who she’d ever trusted enough to be close to her. When I was 9 years old, my great grandfather, who was like a father to my mother, passed away suddenly. When I was 10 years old, my grandmother passed away before any of us had the chance to say goodbye. Read more>>

Clare Skinner

I faced burnout head-on by first acknowledging it and taking time to recharge. I started setting clear boundaries between work and personal life, which helped me avoid overworking. Delegating tasks allowed me to step back and focus on combining strategic aspects of the business with my creative pursuits. For example, We revamped our store’s look to make it more exciting and engaging, which reignited my passion. Regular check-ins mixed with a little fun were key in finding my balance as an entrepreneur. Read more>>

Rudy Lira Kusuma

Resilience comes from having a clear and meaningful purpose. For me, it all started when I first got my real estate license in 2007. My goal was simple yet powerful: I wanted to retire my wife from her job, travel the world with my family, and enjoy life without worrying about the price on the menu. Read more>>

Armida Esquivel

Wow where do I start. First I have to say that it was difficult choosing just one topic as I feel I could have told a story for almost all of them. Imposter syndrome, divorce, where do i get my confidence/optimism to being in a room where no one looks like me. But in the end I chose resilience to encompass them all. Read more>>

Zakiyah Caldwell Burroughs

I derive my resilience from my upbringing in an ambitious family that instilled in me the belief that the sky is the limit. This mindset has shaped my approach to challenges, teaching me to persist and adapt. Despite encountering failures, I’ve learned to view them as redirections towards something better suited for me. Sometimes that is easier said than done. You truly have to get over the initial hurt of failing in order to move past it.  Read more>>

Tara Neilson

I grew up in a remote part of Alaska where all travel is on the water. Instead of a car my family of seven had a 13-foot Boston Whaler, an open “skiff” (a motorboat the size of a Volkswagen bug). We traveled across dangerous waters in all kinds of weather, in all seasons. I remember sitting hunched over on the bare bench seat at six years old in the dead of winter in freezing windchill and saltwater spray convincing my self that if my stomach was warm, I was warm. Read more>>

Donna Dymally

Resilience means the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Resilience was instilled in me by my parents, particularly my father who taught me to never quit. My resilience has come from several other sources as well: personal experiences, supportive relationships, a positive outlook and a sense of purpose. Building resilience often involves developing coping strategies, practicing self-care and maintaining a healthy mindset in the face of challenges. Read more>>

Franceta Lopez

My resilience stems from God, in 2015 went through one of the darkest moments of life. My daughter was stillborn just week away from her due date. Which shattered my heart in million pieces. The pain was so severe I wanted to die. One evening I walked to cross road, waiting for car or bus to end my suffering. When three young lady approached me, said they were on out reach and asked if the could pray with me.  Read more>>

Akari Kaneshiro

I believe the creatives, the artists, the feelers, are uniquely talented at transforming the deepest pains into something truly beautiful. I started modeling in the Pacific Northwest in 2010, I was 21 years old when I first started modeling, I felt too focused on school at the time and was craving a creative outlet. I yearned for a challenge. Modeling was a world I assumed would never be a place I could fit into solely because of my height. Read more>>

Salim Skaf

I have learned resilience through multiple challenges in my life. Even today, I believe that resilience is like a muscle: the more we practice it, the more we develop it. My life journey has always had its challenges; however, some events in my personal life led me to the need to strengthen myself. Read more>>

Tre’sean Durham

I get my resilience from my mother. She always carried a hustler’s spirit and made a way for me and my sister no matter what. Growing up we didn’t have a lot, but we had what we needed and that was because of my mother. She never made excuses, she just made a way. Even when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010, she was able to beat cancer and stayed in remission for 7 years. She was the strongest person I knew and she instilled that in me. She would always tell me that things aren’t always going to go your way, but you never give up and keep going no matter what. Read more>>

Brian Mccarroll

I developed my resilience throughout my life overcoming difficulties. I spent a childhood filled with less than optimal situations with a dysfunctional home life. Despite that I excelled at school and graduated college. From there I went into the military for 19 years, where through tours in Iraq and Afghanistan I developed additional drive to get the job done. Read more>>

Mariela Fdez

I attribute my resilience to my Dominican roots. Growing up with my grandparents while my mom juggled school and work—having me at just 15—taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. Seeing the dedication of both my grandmother and my mother has shaped who I am today and how I approach life’s challenges. Their strength and commitment are a big part of my own resilience. Read more>>

Kelsey Miller

Resilience, in my experience, is shaped by a variety of factors, but for me, it has always stemmed from being the “underdog.” I didn’t have the easiest childhood, and my support system has often been unstable, forcing me to climb my way to the top. Through these challenges, I’ve learned that my greatest strength lies in my ability to handle whatever life throws my way. I also believe in the importance of continuous self-improvement, staying humble, focused, and motivated. My only competition is with who I was yesterday. Read more>>

Brooke Maclean

My resilience comes from lots of opportunities to practice. Sometimes, I feel it would be nice to have had less practice, but I realize resilience can only come from experiencing setbacks, pain, challenges and hurdles, and making the conscious decision to not let those things stop you. Read more>>

Kimberly Sharon

There is a light that burns within us. There have been times in my life where I thought that light was going to burn out. As I reconnected with my breath, the ember glew brighter. Practicing breathwork of all kinds from Somatic, Box Breathing, Lamaze, and others. Finding my own rhythm of breath that regulates my nervous system, I have been able to let go of expectation and flow more into ease of the present moment. Read more>>

Michael Sweeney

Growing up in a low income househeld with 3 younger sisters, we struggled. My father got laid off from the local plant in our hometown and my parents could barely make ends meet. We grew up in a house next to my cousins, which was a great experience growing up. Though the house we lived in when it would rain we would have to place bowls and towels down on the stairs because rain came directly through the ceiling into the house.  Read more>>

Serena Allen

Before I started working on my startup AirVitalize, I spoke to as many people as I could about their experience living and breathing in polluted air. Their stories were honestly devastating. One mother even shared that the air quality was so bad where she lived, her son collapsed on his way to school. Read more>>

Ives (rachael Gold)

My answer to any question like this typically goes something like “what other choice do I have” or “I don’t have a plan B if this doesn’t work out”, but I think the truth is that my resilience comes from my personal commitment to not abandoning myself. When I set my goals I am not just making a literal plan but I also am investing my thoughts and energy towards believing that everything will work out in my favor.  Read more>>

Darin Triplett

I attribute my resilience to a combination of personal challenges and an innate drive to improve my circumstances. From birth, I faced significant health challenges, including a collapsible trachea and ongoing respiratory issues. My parents were informed that I might experience slow motor skills and potential developmental issues. Despite these predictions, I developed healthy and productive coping mechanisms that contributed to my happiness and growth. Read more>>

Tiffany Horton

I get my resilience from my parents. Early on they taught me to never let anything or anyone stop you from achieving your goals. My mother is one of the greatest examples of resilience that I know personally. When I was in high school she went back to school to get her degree. I know that was very hard for her to do. Every morning she would get up, drop my sister and I off at school and then go to work, cook dinner for us, go to class in the evenings, come home to make sure we were in the bed, stay up late studying or writing papers, and then get in the bed for a few hours of sleep only to do it all over again the next day.  Read more>>

Jonathan Wiens

I think I get a lot of my resilience from having a learning disability; I have Dyslexia. Throughout my school years I had to work twice as hard as everyone else to receive half the grade. One day after getting my report card, knowing the work that I had put in, but seeing a majority of C’s, I broke down crying. My Dad sat next to me and said, “You have it hard right now, but you also know how to work harder than anybody else.  Read more>>

America Barajas

Resilience, to me, is the ability to keep moving forward and use life’ s challenges as stepping stones for growth. Throughout my life, I faced various difficulties that forced me to adapt and find strength within myself. I always felt a drive to do more and be more, both for myself others. Read more>>

Reshma Khan

My resilience stems from multiple facets of my life and journey. Here are the key aspects that highlight my resilience: 1. **Adaptability and Determination**: Moving from India to the United States required a significant adjustment, both culturally and professionally. Despite these challenges, I successfully completed my education and training in internal medicine and rheumatology. Read more>>

Michelle Wilson-merriwether

“I believe that my resilience stems from a combination of factors, but ultimately, it comes down to my unwavering faith in the power of perseverance and positivity. I have faced numerous challenges and obstacles throughout my life, but each time, I have chosen to view these experiences as opportunities for growth and transformation. Read more>>