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.
Joe Bishara
I’ve been extremely fortunate in my life and my career to be placed alongside people that have pushed me to be the best that I can be. Sometimes those pushes were coming from a conscious, nurturing place; sometimes those pushes were subconscious and intended to be discouraging. Regardless, my primary mentors in my life were always there to remind me that the only thing that could hold me back from what I wanted to accomplish was me. Read more>>
Mac Streetz
I would have to say it comes from my mother. She had me very very young n I watch here climb to heights you couldn’t believe against all odds. No matter what life threw at her or how many times it would knock her down . She would get back up n go harder there was no such thing as give up .. I like to think watching that my whole life I learned the skill myself Read more>>
Jeannie Caryn
I am very lucky in that my brain seems to be hardwired with the notion that there is no quitting. I think I’ve always been this way naturally, but surely I had experiences as a child that pushed me to believe this. One I remember happened in the third grade: I read Walt Disney’s biography and remember loving how he fought for his art — I’m not sure I understood this then, but one quote that I always return to is: “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keep leading us down new paths.” Read more>>
Ricardo Yslas
Resilience has for me come from two sources, some of which I have learned through failure and struggles of my own and some of which I would refer to as borrowed. The part I have developed is through engaging in tasks that are challenging and demanding, both physically and mentally. Exercise being a major component of that. Mind and body are interlinked and strengthening one builds up the other. Read more>>
Jennifer Nielsen
I was really lucky to have two great parents. Although they were divorced, they were each wonderful examples of resilience. My mom found a way to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table, and even scheduled her working hours to be home when we were out of school. To this day, I have no idea when she slept. As the years go on, I have increased respect for the lessons she taught me about knowing that there is always a solution to everything, even if sometimes we have to work harder to find it. Read more>>
Mauricio Arrioja
rom the earliest days of my childhood, I was surrounded by a family that embodied resilience. While I never had the chance to meet my grandfather, I heard countless stories about his strength and determination. However, it was my Grandma who truly became my role model. She faced immense challenges and yet, remained my biggest fan, constantly inspiring me with her unwavering determination. Read more>>
Roma Villavicencio
Resilience to me, comes from life experiences that have proven, I can succeed and overcome. Including the loss of my mother as a teenager and my own battle with Ovarian Cancer. Read more>>
Michelle Loufman
Resilience is built through a combination of disappointment, grit, determination, and overcoming. I’ve had a concentrated dose of them in recent years. Read more>>
Susan Kaczorowski
I have a strong passion for my work and a clear vision of my goals. This passion and vision act as a driving force, motivating them to persevere through challenges and setbacks. Read more>>
Raoul Peter Mongilardi
Resilience is part of my DNA, the fabric that is woven in my body, mind and spirit. It’s a recipe, discipline+work ethic+passion=longevity and its cousin, “resilience.” Keep in physical shape to maintain the energy of the body and get rid of toxins, read and meditate, pray, be involved somehow out of your “self” to keep a perspective and try to help others and create, create, create. Never stop creating! No spelled back words is On. Read more>>
Kyra Marsh
Growing up, I was taught to fail faster — the faster you fail, the quicker you can learn from those mistakes. What I appreciated about that perspective was how it fostered a growth mindset and helped me to separate my worthiness and current capabilities from the failures at hand. Recognizing that not only am I more than my mistakes, but that growing from those mistakes are what allows myself to evolve quicker let me embrace resiliency. Read more>>
James Turner
I can’t exactly pinpoint where I got my sense of resilience from, but I can say that I have had the ability to bounce back and recover from trying situations from day one it seems. Read more>>
Tiffany Brown
I draw my resilience from a deep wellspring within me, nurtured by a lifetime of experiences, challenges and lessons. Resilience is rooted in the unwavering support of my loved ones who have taught me the importance of perseverance. Every obstacle I’ve encountered has been a stepping stone, shaping my character and fortifying my spirit. My resilience is also forged through self-discovery, as I’ve learned to embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth. Read more>>
Daniel Watkins
It started while I was working as a wealth management intern in New York City for Merril Lynch. I was fresh out of college and my buddy, Steve Rannazzisi and I landed temp jobs on the 54th floor of the World Trade Center. Our first day? Monday, September 10, 2001. One day later my life, as well as the entire country would change forever. I don’t need to go into detail about what I went through that day. Steve and I were two of the lucky ones. Read more>>
Denise McMahon
I get it from my incredible parents. 🙂 They immigrated here to America after the Vietnam War. After growing up in Vietnam during the war, fighting to make their way here after the war, and crossing the country to marry and build a life here on the east coast, my parents have been through so much. Not only to get their citizenship but also to provide a good childhood and life for me and my three other siblings. Read more>>
Matt Huitt
I’m a firm believer that no one can chase and fulfill their dreams on their own. The “lone cowboy” may make for a good movie but it’s not a great way to go through life. Resilience comes from having family and friends who will prop you up when you want to give up on your dream and don’t feel like you can make it anymore. I had several conversations with my family about giving up and coming home just to hear them say “give it a little more time.” Read more>>
Grace Nguyen
I’d say my resilience comes partly my inherent personality, and partly learned from seeing my immigrant parents work relentlessly. Born a Capricorn, I’ve always been a work horse – very stubborn about making sure I accomplish what I put my mind to, naturally passionate about my work and making sure it aligns with finding my purpose. Also, being a 1.5 generation immigrant meant that I came to the US at age 8, I observed how hard my parents had to work. Read more>>
Winnie The Jroo
My resilience is built and forged in the fires of the resistance in my life that I’ve had to overcome. Both internal and external factors that I’ve been challenged with have given me a sense of good habits. These small daily habits that I have are the things that act as the “reps” that work out the “muscle of resilience”. I do hard uncomfortable things each and every day so that when the really tough things come I’m already in the habit of overcoming. Read more>>
Sarah Dana
I grew up in a spiritually-bound family that was very nurturing and protective. Life outside of home was a little harsher than that at a young age at school. I was a child that was very quirky and bubbly, for the most part, but was often made fun of with harsh words and being a social outcast at a young age, up until early adulthood. I feel like what really strengthened me to go against the odds was seeing how gifted I was at a young. Read more>>
Radhaa Nilia
My wellspring of resilience flows directly from the extraordinary woman who raised me, none other than Maya the Shaman, my mother. As an immigrant, she arrived in this country without a safety net, yet her unwavering determination, boundless hard work, and unyielding spirit became her guiding stars. Irrespective of the challenges life presented, she embraced every hurdle with grace and tenacity, always finding a way to prevail. Read more>>
Kelsey Thueneman
Amidst surgeries for congenital leg deformations, I found solace in art during long, lonely summers of recovery. Drawing became my escape, paralleling my body’s recovery. I realized art mirrored my resilience – overcoming failures, forming my identity. I learned setbacks were stepping stones, not endings. Read more>>
robert hackney
This answer is not only a where, but who. The where is from growing up on a farm in middle Georgia. We were what I would classify as poor. We very rarely went out to eat. We frequently got donations from the local Baptist church. I remember my 6th grade math teacher actually gave my family a bed that I slept on years. Read more>>
Susanna Brooks
My resilience comes from my grand parents (Alice & Clarance) we were taught at a young age never to give up no matter what comes in the way. When faced with any obstacles, sit back observe and approach with a open mind of with a YES I CAN! Never approach a situation with emotions. Read more>>
Destiny Chapron
My resilience was built on a change in mindset. Starting in high school , I experienced grief/loss when my father passed away. I began experiencing extreme levels of stress, depression , and anxiety which soon impacted my health. In those moments, I felt a sense of defeat as I watched my dream teenage life change right before my eyes. Unfortunately, I didn’t know my thoughts , feelings and behaviors are connected meaning I had control over a lot of what I dealt with; which most youth don’t. Read more>>
Emmeline Wang
Resilience is developed when adversity or challenges hit. Growing up, I developed strength through playing sports. I played travel softball and started at 14 years old, much later than most girls who aspired to continue the sport in college. Due to my realized talent by coaches, I was always placed on teams above my age bracket, and usually being the youngest on the team, I was often bullied or belittled for my abilities. I felt like an underdog and always had more to prove. Read more>>
Gabrielle Nora Irene Johnson
I used to think my experiences in life made me strong, made me resilient. That being, the ones which have felt really challenging and traumatic. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized those experiences didn’t me strong, but rather, when I was faced with adversity I was forced to look within to unearth the strength that was always inside of me (unbeknownst to me). So, I don’t believe you “get” resilience from anywhere. I believe it’s always lying dormant within you… waiting on a call to action, waiting on your WILL to reach for it when you are no longer able to carry on without it. Read more>>
Tiea Whitaker
My resilience comes from several places; it comes from my upbringing and watching my mother, who was a single parent with two children, manage to provide for us even when that meant sacrificing things she wanted for herself. It comes from becoming a mother and being determined to keep standing and fighting for my dreams so my son could see that example of not quitting and anything being possible. Read more>>
Michael Artis
My work ethic as an artist is truly a product of the diverse influences that have shaped my journey. Growing up in a household where money was often tight, I learned the value of hard work and determination from my mom’s relentless efforts to provide for our family. Her unwavering spirit instilled in me a drive to overcome obstacles and persevere in the face of challenges. Read more>>
Michael Ford
Being a competitive karate athlete, you do not always win. You have to learn to get back on the horse and train harder if you want to become a champion! Read more>>
Michael Balko
Life was never easy for me. To create an audience on social media, I would oftentimes walk over a mile regardless of the elements to a local gas station to use their WiFi to create content. Since then, I’ve been as resilient as can be- because I’m dedicated to ensure I don’t lose what I worked so hard to get. Read more>>
Jay DaSkreet
My resilience comes from me recognizing very early on in life that there will always be SOMETHING in place to hinder you. Once that registered for me I stopped thinking of it as overcoming obstacles and I just looked at it as part of the journey to the goal. Read more>>
Sophie Nelson-Crouse
I’m originally from Haiti an underdeveloped country where substantial socio-economic inequalities and political unrest have long plagued the lives of its citizens. Being resilient is within most Haitians since we have had to overcome a lot. As for myself, on May 5th, 1996, I experienced the unthinkable. My father was shot in Haiti. This early trauma along with other life obstacles have made me the woman I proudly am today. Read more>>
Jolene Mei
This is a great question. Firstly, I see resilience as the strength to keep going, even when it gets rough, though moments of success, and even when you may be really questioning the choices your past self has made. I think what keeps me resilient in that aspect, is centering back on the knowledge that great transformation takes slow and steady growth. Read more>>
Jericka Belman
No matter what obstacles I face in life my resilience come from my faith in God. I literally stand on walking by faith and not by sight. Everyday isn’t sunshine but I try my best to not let nothing get me down. “Weeping may endure for one night, but joy comes in the morning.” Read more>>
