Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our hope with the Portraits of Resilience series – we hope the stories below will inspire you to tap into your own resilience.
Sidiqat Abdulkareem
I’m an immigrant and I got my resilience from the fact that I came to this country to be successful. Therefore, If I fail, then I have to take a rest and try again, maybe using a different approach, but failure is definitely not in my dictionary. That’s where my resilience is from. I have a bunch of people looking up to me and that includes my sisters and parents. Read More>>
Dharma Sanchez-Flores
Interestingly enough, I have never thought of myself as resilient until this question. But as I take this moment to reflect on my life and the experiences I have had, I can see that I have been resilient for a very long time and I have honestly not given myself enough credit. I can also see where my resiliency began. “Resiliency” is an unusual word; in my understanding (and thanks to the dictionary), it refers to how one can get back on track, continue living, or create a new lifestyle after encountering a major or unexpected setback. Read More>>
Kieng
My resilience is something deeply personal, something earned through love, sacrifice, and the incredible strength of the people who raised me. It starts with my mother — a single mom and an immigrant who left everything behind to give me a life filled with possibilities. She came to this country with nothing but determination and a dream — not for herself, but for me. She worked countless hours, sometimes holding down multiple jobs, just to keep the lights on and food on the table. And she did it all with grace, never once making me feel like I was a burden. She gave up her own dreams to make sure I had the chance to chase mine. Read More>>
Renette Hammer
I was always pretty rebellious at and early age, and with that I learned that you have to actually push the boundaries, not once but many times, and through that mentality was born the resilience that I have today. Read More>>
Nichelle Moment
“My resilience comes from three main sources: God, my mom, and my sister. First and foremost, my strength is rooted in my faith. God gives me peace in chaos, strength when I feel weak, and purpose even in pain. I truly believe that His grace carries me through every challenge, even when I don’t fully understand the ‘why.’ Read More>>
Baran Ataei
I come from a place where silence is often mistaken for survival. Growing up in Iran, within a traditional and religious framework, I learned very early that certain things — especially pain, especially trauma — were meant to be buried. When I survived sexual assault, the message I received from my environment was clear: forget it happened, and move on. Read More>>
Christianne Bean
You know, I was going to answer this by saying I just recently learned how to be resilient but really as I reflect back on my life… I have had resilience all along. It started many, many years ago as a child. I had to bounce back from so much. More than I realized and more than I want to recall. But, if I could sum up what I had to go through in two words it would be – generational trauma. I really didn’t understand what generational trauma was and how it affected me until I had a therapist explain to me what I was going through. Read More>>
Karena Zolner
Growing up, being a city kid in a small town definitely made me feel a bit… unique. Never quite fitting in fueled this intense curiosity, this desire to see what else the world had to offer. That feeling of being an outsider? It taught me to rely on myself and to forge my own way.
My Grandma Bunny was a force. She didn’t just follow the crowd; she created her own. Building a community around her passions, teaching and inspiring other women. That entrepreneurial spirit, that drive to do what you love? I absorbed that. Read More>>
JayBesso
My resilience comes from what I used to think was a lifelong stroke of bad luck. Turned out it was the key to my potentially being great and going down as a memorable guy.
I’ve always found myself as the main character in one of the most outrageous, and absurd sitcoms that I have ever had the privilege of witnessing. I used to think that these misadventures, (events that would occur sporadically, which for others seemed like they would only occur once in a blue moon, but would occur for me on any given Tuesday – or any other completely random time) were not a source of pain, but a chance to really pull at the fabric of reality and see how far this thing really unravels. Read More>>
Kathie Korth
I’m still here. I’m going to be 81 on May 23, I had breast cancer which metastasized into bone cancer in my spine, and almost every day presents a new problem I have to deal with (or to ignore as long as I can, to be honest) and I refuse to give in. It is what it is, a time-worn saying but so true.
I work to solve the problem, as best I can. Sometimes it takes awhile and the outcome is not always favorable, but I’m very stubborn. I’m limited in what I can do at times – I was 5’7 and now I’m 5’2.5 so I have to reach a little higher or find another solution (or let my husband do it). Read More>>
Dhaisy Vue
I believe my resilience came from my parents. They are one of the biggest contributors to my success. Both of my parents are refugees from Laos during the Vietnam War. They both came to the United States as young children. They experienced firsthand how difficult it was to build a successful life here and they still managed to give my siblings and I the amazing opportunities that they did not have themselves. Read More>>
Ashley Witt
I would say the biggest reason I get my resilience is when I became a mom. My oldest 2 kids dad wasn’t the best relationship I’ve been in. It really took a toll on me. It was 6 years of a mentally and physically abuse that was an exhausting nightmare unfortunately. I’ve always been taught that to make anything happen you have to always believe in yourself and push through any negative situations that comes your way. Read More>>
Gerardo Larios
I grew up in Mexico City, the youngest of five kids. We lived in a three bedroom house, four boys sharing a bedroom. My parents put everything they earned into our education. We didn’t have much. Both of my parents worked, but it was my mom who taught me the most about resilience. She had a full time job, but on top of that, she cooked every single meal from scratch, did all of our laundry, kept the house spotless, and made sure we always had what we needed. Read More>>
Rello Be
I appreciate you for asking such a great question. I’ll say it like this, when you’re in a world that punches…you have to be willing to punch back! I know this world comes with good and bad, so I take them both for what they are, no matter how good and no matter how bad. Read More>>
Tamara Thomas
I think the thing that contributes to my resilience most, is prioritizing time for continual learning. I love to read to learn. I am not a big fan of fiction, but I really enjoy taking in any type of non-fiction, be it documentaries, books, podcasts, newsletters, etc. I believe the more you know, in every area of life, the better you feel about your ability to get through difficult times, and jump over obstacles. I also believe, if you want something done, you should look inward, rather than waiting for someone or something to get it done for you. Read More>>
Jaevonn Harris
My resilience comes from two places: God and experience. I grew up watching my mom push through situations that would’ve crushed most people, and even when we didn’t have much, she kept going. That showed me what quiet strength looks like.
But my own resilience? That came from learning how to bounce back when life tried to punk me. Evictions, losses, closed doors, betrayals—I’ve seen it all and still never stopped creating. Every setback pushed me deeper into my art, my pen, my business. I taught myself how to survive and then how to shine. And believe or not, shonen-style anime, those characters faced all kind of hell, it seem like a meta-reminder for me to never give up and my willpower will overthrow everything. Read More>>
Tisa Zellers
I would say I’ve been gifted a deep well of patience and resilience. However, I know now that it wasn’t simply a gift—and I haven’t often looked at it that way. The blessing of resilience has come from a deeply flawed journey. It’s the result of growth and learning that took many years and continues to unfold.
Resilience is like a muscle. You develop it through trial and error—by making mistakes and learning from consequences. When I look back on my younger self, I see someone very capable, but also impatient, eager to get ahead without always being willing to put in the hard work required. That girl would walk through the death of her first spouse at 25, and an ugly divorce at 45. It was all part of the journey to awakening. Read More>>
Mr & Mrs Jenkins
Growing up me and my husband saw our mother make the amazing things happen in a impossible situations seeing your parents strive and stay focus to create space that is comfortable and rewarding impacted both of tremendously we have taken those positive qualities and made them a staple in our life and business.Things aren’t always easy and sometimes certain situations can make your rethink why you even started your business but you have to keep your roots and your values close so that in those tough times you stay focused and conquer the issues that arise Read More>>
Deborah Pisaro
I think my resilience comes from living through the hard stuff—and choosing to stay open, even when it would have been easier to shut down. I’ve been through enough real estate cycles, natural disasters, and personal pivots to know that stability is never promised. Deals fall apart, homes burn down, markets crash, life throws curveballs. But I also know that every ending opens up a new chapter, even if you don’t see it right away. Read More>>
Darlene Gaston
My resilience stems from times that test me—painful moments when I feel I can’t move forward. Yet, the strength I find by turning to God during these times builds my resilience. The pain that forged my resilience also enabled me to write two books in three years.
On Thanksgiving morning in November 2014, over three days, the Lord revealed something that transformed my perspective of Him, radically changing my life and my family’s. It wasn’t entirely new but rooted in something ancient. Read More>>
Jeff Feinman
Resilience, for me, grew out of necessity. In 1975 after flying head over heels on a bicycle, I started having neurological symptoms which grew in frequency and which my family started calling “attacks” by my body. At that time there was no conventional diagnosis or approach that could help me. That moment, and the decades that followed, forced me inward — and that’s when everything changed. Instead of reacting with fear or frustration, I began practicing what I now call the L.A.T. Read More>>
Erica Moyer
A lot of it comes from my life experiences. I’ve had to navigate challenges that shaped me into someone who can keep going, even when things get heavy. Being a business owner adds to that; there’s a constant need to show up, solve problems, and lead. My patients have played a huge role in keeping me grounded and motivated. Knowing I make a difference in their lives gives me a reason to push through, even on the hard days. Read More>>
Danielle Waleko
My journey to resilience began with challenges. As a child, I faced asthma and learning disabilities, but my parents’ unwavering support and encouragement empowered me to push beyond limits. They taught me to focus on possibilities, not obstacles. With their guidance, I discovered my strengths and developed a growth mindset. Read More>>
Melissa Gisselle
Great question. I’m not another run in the mill. I’ve endured and survived many difficult experiences in my life. From a young age. I came into this world fighting for my life and spent most of my life defying the odds. My resilience comes from shear faith in myself and our creator, Christ. He has guided me knowingly and unknowingly throughout my existence. Read More>>
