We’ve shared some incredible stories of resilience below that we hope will help you on your journey towards building up your resilience.
Lani Matsumura
I learned resilience by facing situations where things didn’t go as planned and having to figure out how to move forward anyway. Where I get that resilience from is probably a mix of how I was raised and how I’ve grown. I’ve always been a huge planner. From a young age, I was pretty much always known as someone who worked hard and thought ahead. Read more>>
Jessica Alfano-Scott
My resilience comes from learning how to rebuild myself, without losing sight of who I am. The industries I’ve established my career in have taught me precision under pressure, shaped my ability to stay tenacious, and keep moving even if it feels like things are falling apart. I’ve learned that resilience is about returning to your truth every time life tests you. Read more>>
Veronica Garcia
My resilience comes from my grandmother Corina. A culinary goddess/ entrepreneur, and a staple in the phoenix community. Her and my grandfather Rudy owned Rudy’s Iron Gate Cocktails in Uptown Phoenix. Both so very talented, opera singers, and culinary artists. While raising families, there was nothing impossible in their eyes. Read more>>
Elizabeth Aurora Petersen
When I was 19 I became critically ill for two years and fought for my life. There were moments I genuinely didn’t think I would survive. But I made a promise to myself: If I make it through this, I’ll spend the rest of my life pursuing my dreams. Life is too short not to fight for the things that matter to you. Read more>>
GIRIDHARAN SRINIVASAN
I think my resilience comes from being out here in Los Angeles alone, chasing a dream that most people back home couldn’t even imagine. When you leave everything familiar — your family, culture, comfort — and land in a city built on ambition, you either find your strength or you fall apart. For me, I found mine through silence, struggle, and self-belief. Read more>>
Tess Adams
I think my resilience comes from the combination of experience, faith, and a deep love for what I do. Starting my business in New York City back in 2009 taught me so much about perseverance — it’s not an easy place to build something on your own, especially in a field as personal and intimate as holistic skincare. Read more>>
Tyler Seppala
I would say my resilience is the cumulative result of many different facets of my upbringing. But one that comes to mind, to which I likely owe the most credit, is Boy Scouts. A fun fact about me that not everyone knows is that I’m an Eagle Scout. Read more>>
LaToya Mbayu
I get my resilience from my mother. She is the epitome of what to strive for as a woman. She single handedly influenced my core foundation with fierce tenancity while being humble and appreciate of how far I’ve come. Read more>>
Theo Francis
Taking a lot of dumb risks. I’ve always been a ‘go hard or go home’ type of guy and it didn’t mesh well with my parents idea of staying quiet and out of the way. These things would rattle my parents and I got a couple sit downs. At the same time though, even when I failed, I always ended up on my feet. Read more>>
Kayla Harley
It’s built in me. I’m an Indigenous Brown Woman who grew up in rough environments where rejection, judgement and criticism were a constant. It didn’t discourage me. It motivated me to define myself, be original and know no limits to exploration and success. I was often the first in many instances amidst my peers to do residencies, fellowships, intensives and workshop that were not local. Read more>>
Kytu Khong
My resilience comes from my mother. She was born in Vietnam in 1959 and grew up during the war. Although she came from a well-off family, life became incredibly difficult after she got married and started her own family. Determined to seek a better future, she attempted to escape Vietnam several times—but failed each time. Read more>>
Kaneesha Worthington
I grew up in Jackson, TN until I was 16 before my immediate family relocated to Plano, TX. Jackson is a small town known for its industrial businesses, colleges, and southern hospitality. Just like a lot of places, everyone there is trying to survive and enjoy life. Read more>>
Anoop Surya
I think my source of resilience is my family, mom and dad, and my friends. The community of filmmakers I work with daily inspires me to be better each day. Read more>>
Auntie Butter
My resilience comes from the strength & love that God has given me! From every opportunity, learning lesson, pivotal point, as well as the love & strength that we hold all come from God. My brother and parents have taught me that through the strength that God gives us, anything is possible. Read more>>
Jia Jia
I think my resilience comes from a mix of migration and making. Moving between cultures has taught me how to adapt and find stability in uncertainty. Working with clay also mirrors that process — it’s fragile yet strong, responsive yet unpredictable. Every time a piece collapses or cracks, it reminds me that persistence and care are part of growth. Read more>>
Jes Mendoza
I get my resilience from the people and experiences that built me — and, honestly, from the ones that almost broke me too. Life’s thrown its share of curveballs my way, but every time something came undone, I learned how to rebuild a little stronger, a little wiser, and with a softer heart. Read more>>
Emily Hart
I think my resilience was born from necessity, from moments where there wasn’t another option but to figure it out. Becoming a single mom while rebuilding my life from the ground up taught me that strength doesn’t always look loud; sometimes it’s quiet, steady and found in the smallest daily choices. Showing up for my kids, myself and my work even when things felt uncertain. Read more>>
Chryssa Tsakiris
I grew up Greek in America, with one foot in each culture. That straddle alone helped me integrate the idea that two things can be true at once. The call to keep lineage alive in you was present from birth. Read more>>
Hollie Jo Hepler
At sixteen, I sat in a doctor’s office and was told I would never have children. That moment split my life in two—before and after. What followed was years of quiet heartbreak, navigating the ache of infertility, the silent question of “why me,” and the long road of IVF and surrogacy which provided a beautiful healthy baby boy! Then my marriage ended. Read more>>
David Simmons
Resilience is something that must be exercised daily, and the thought that comes to mind whenever there is doubt are, “You’re a great man.” This self assurance was forged at a young age by my father who imprinted the idea that my brother and I would be great men someday. He made us repeat these words whenever we saw him. Read more>>
Daniel Velez
I think more from my grandparents, I don’t think it was exposed in plain sight to me. But learning about their life seeing them work , how they model for us their commitment of getting their family ahead in such difficult circumstances and times was absorbed unintentionally on my mind. We have really parallel stories although I had a huge advantage. Read more>>
Austin Howlett
As I write this I am sitting in a treatment chair of an infusion suite receiving my 12th and final chemotherapy treatment, finally arriving at the end of a 6 month long journey fighting Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Read more>>
Bailey Charles
I get my resiliency from my mindset and my experiences. I’ve learned that challenges are opportunities to grow, not setbacks. Whenever something doesn’t go as planned, I take time to reflect, adjust, and move forward with what I’ve learned. That perspective helps me stay calm, focused, and motivated even under pressure. Read more>>
Edie Higby
The short answer is: from my commitment to Joy. But not the fleeting, surface-level Joy that comes only when life is easy or comfortable. My resilience was forged, literally, in the fire and flames of grief. Joy is often mistaken for a luxury, a fleeting feeling reserved for the lucky, the privileged, or special moments. Read more>>
Melissa ‘Mel’ Alakayi
I believe I get my resilience from the obstacles I’ve encountered throughout my journey as an entrepreneur. If I said this process was easy, I’d be lying. But to me, resilience means having the ability to overcome, to keep going even when things don’t go as planned. Throughout this journey, the failures and the hurdles have actually become my foundation. Read more>>
Kierra Crawl
Honestly, my resilience comes from God. There are moments when motivation runs low, but it’s my faith that grounds me and keeps me going. I often think about the millions of people in the world who struggle with their skin and the impact it can have on their self-esteem. Read more>>
Elena Sullivan
My resilience comes from a mix of life experience, creativity, and a lot of curiosity. Moving between countries, adapting to new cultures, and starting over more than once taught me that change isn’t something to fear—it’s where growth happens. Photography has always been my anchor through those transitions. Read more>>
Jessie Morgan
Honestly, my resilience comes from my faith in God. When I first started pursuing content creation full-time, I faced so many no’s – projects that didn’t pan out, opportunities that slipped away, and moments when I questioned whether I could actually make it. But I kept going because I knew He had a plan for me. Read more>>
Christie Bowens
My resilience comes from God and the lessons life has handed me. I’ve been through enough to know quitting isn’t an option, and that any setback is just another setup for something greater. Read more>>
Loreta Medoniene
What is resilience? For me, resilience is the skill of adaptation. It is the skill of survival. It is the ability to grow through adversity and rebound from hardship. It is not the story of who or what hurt you. It is the story of how you survived, how you recovered, and how you chose to keep going. Read more>>
Melissa Fulgieri
I had several experiences with grief and loss in childhood that I went through much earlier than a lot of my peers. Watching several of my caregivers manage prolonged illnesses and eventually pass away in my 20s is something that many of us go through, just much later on in life. My curiosity has always been a strong protective factor of mine. Read more>>
Sarah Kobin
Resilience, for me, comes from a mix of faith, family and the community that Sunshine Play Café serves every single day. As a mom of three young kids I knew the need for a place like this long before I opened our doors. Parents in Richmond, KY didn’t have many family-friendly things to do where both kids and adults could feel at home. Read more>>
Molly Bailey
Resilience, I believe, is woven into the fabric of our lives, capturing both our joyful moments and our toughest challenges. For me, it stems from personal reflection, community support, and my relationship with creativity. During difficult times, I lean on those around me; their shared laughter, heartfelt moments, and even tears remind me that I’m never alone. Read more>>
Toni Thomas
I think my resilience is rooted in my lineage and the wellness rituals I have developed for myself over years of practice. As a child of immigrant parents, I witnessed firsthand what sheer will and determination, hard work, and commitment meant in real life. Through that witnessing, however, I learned the conditionings of sacrifice for small gain. Read more>>
Liv Ryan
Out of sight out of mind has always been something I live by. This mindset has allowed me to propel myself forward even in the darkest of times. Growing up in New York, I was toughened from a young age. Read more>>
Summer Owens
I got my resilience from life giving me challenges before I ever asked for them. At fifteen years old, I found out I was pregnant. It came from a forced sexual encounter I didn’t share. Everyone had an opinion, and most of them came with doubt. Many said or thought my the life I had envisioned for myself was over before it had really begun. Read more>>
Rene Benton
For me it started very early . Rejection builds character and soft men create hard times. I failed many times at things I truly desired for myself. With that being said ; I had to figure out how to accomplish smaller goals that leads to bigger goals . I liken it to building a skyscraper from the ground up. Read more>>
Susy Schieffelin
My resilience comes from a deep and unwavering faith in something greater than myself… what I call love. Some people call it God, Source, Spirit, or the Universe, but to me, that higher power is love in its purest form. Read more>>
Dara Fulton
I get my resilience from my mom. My mom is the reason I am organized, hardworking, and most of all, a lady. She taught me to always be open minded and love people for who they are no matter how different we may be from each other. I was bullied a lot in junior high school. I was called ‘fat,’ ‘nerd,’ or expletives. Read more>>
Sowedhi Uthman Kiwanuka
I get my resilience through facing each day as an opportunity to play a role in the transformation of my community. Through what I do and believe in. This is done through turning my ideas into reality with purpose. Solving problems with practical solutions Read more>>
Yeonglee Kim
I think resilience sneaks up on you while you’re busy surviving. In classical music, you don’t get rewarded immediately for effort — you spend weeks working on the same four measures, and often no one else even knows how hard it was to get them right. That kind of repetition trains you to respond to problems with curiosity rather than panic. Read more>>
Jen Heartfire (McCormick)
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’ God’s promise of strength and presence in all who trust and believe in him. Philippians 4:13 My resilience comes from God and Jesus, my ancestry and my star lineage. God holds the key to all. So, when we connect deeply we can move mountains. Read more>>
Glenn Ratcliffe
my resilience comes from various things to begin with they was raised in poverty. It’s been his first six months and in an orphanage, I have two sisters I don’t know. I was never inoculated so my immune system developed naturally when you’re in a tough situation you have a built mechanism to survive and be resilient. Read more>>
