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.

Kayandra Lewis

Off the bat, when I think about resilience I think about my upbringing. My mother and father are from the wonderful island of Jamaica and they moved to another beautiful island called Tortola, which is where I was born. After some time, my father went to America in hopes of creating a stable life for himself and his children. Read more>>

Lee Solo

I would chalk up any resilience I have to a combination of will power and gratitude. I’m often reminding myself of how fortunate I am to have experienced everything I have in life, through the good and bad times, it’s all made me who I am today. I’m also of the mind state that you only have one life to live, while regret is something I don’t want in old age, so I’m making the most of every day I got.  Read more>>

Kimberly Barrett Luttery

My faith in God and encouragement from my parents and extended family set the foundation for me to push through the opportunities and challenges I encounter. I believe in that old saying that experience is a good teacher. In my opinion, mistakes and failures can often be better lessons than the successes that I have experienced. Read more>>

Kim Hallquist

It’s funny how, even now, I wouldn’t call myself a resilient person. But when I stop and look back on all the things I have overcome—graduating from high school and college, becoming a (in my eyes) successful graphic designer, wife, mother, and now an artistic entrepreneur—I guess I am very resilient!! Read more>>

Zaira Machuca

I get my resilience from my family, particularly from my mother. She has triumphed over numerous economic and mental challenges in her life to be with me today. Despite her exhaustion, she consistently makes time for me and my siblings, teaching me the value of perseverance in life. Read more>>

Anthony Paparelli

For me, I believe that my resilience comes first and foremost from my grandmother. She was an immigrant from Italy and came to this country with nothing and grew up extremely poor. She raised five incredible sons and took care of an entire family by never giving up, even in the worst of times. She truly was the American dream, coming to this country with nothing to give her children and family everything.  Read more>>

Junee’

Ultimately I would say that I got my resilience from the many strong and influential role models that I’ve had throughout my life such as my parents, mentors, friends, etc. Seeing the many obstacles that they have gone through and how they managed to overcome them while remaining in an optimistic mindset was so admirable to me and made me want to develop this strength that I was witnessing. Read more>>

Mykaila Boyd

My resilience came from some of the situations I was in that was sent to destroy me . Not only did I promise myself I wouldn’t allow that to happen again but it made me more determined to do better and it showed me that I could overcome anything I put my mind to. Read more>>

Bas Janssen

The funny story about that is that everyone seems to have some single life changing moment where they discovered they were meant for the music industry or their destiny was to be a musician etc. but for me it was kind of a funneling process until there was nothing else I could do. In British high school you choose your subjects and narrow down to only 3 subjects by the time you’re 18. Read more>>

Najoni Montgomery

I cant answer this question without first expressing the fact that I wasn’t always so resilient, I used to allow the smallest things to discourage me from achieving my goals. I was that kid in high school that was a follower of anyone “popular” I was always looking for the next crowd to fit in. But becoming a mom has honestly been the one thing that has contributed the most to my resilience. Read more>>

Gris Manzanares

I get my resilience from my deepest desires: walk every day towards my higher-self through love and compassion, create and be a safe space for my loved ones, transform our life story through art. Read more>>

Leslie M. Bosserman

As a purpose-driven innovator, I am driven by my desire to seek solutions to problems in my community and family. I view the world through the lens of possibility, knowing that if I’m stuck, there’s likely a perspective I haven’t discovered yet. It’s with this optimistic mindset that I began creating a construct for what I’ve named “Emotional Endurance” – the dynamic inner capacity you develop to keep going and rise above your circumstances as you deal with life’s stresses and challenges.  Read more>>

Shelby Forsythia

For me, resilience is something that comes with practice. It’s not something that sprang up or magically appeared as a result of a single, life-changing hardship. I think society often tells the story of someone experiencing a tragedy and then “becoming resilient,” when in fact, resilience is something that we are perpetually becoming with time and practice. Read more>>

Karina Falcon

I’m mexican! I have a very big family that supports me, and grew up with aunts, cousins and neighbors that nurture me and cheered me up. I also have a very sacred conexion to Earth Mother as a living being. For me is normal to lay down near the ocean, do stargazing or take a pause to be in awe with Nature’s beauty to cope with everyday stressors. Read more>>

Kim Ellis

Where do I even start? To me, resilience is all about perspective, how we choose to perceive and respond to certain situations. Perhaps I’ve always been a fighter deep down but it’s taken decades to realize my own strength. Growing up, I experienced physical, sexual, and emotional abuse as well as extreme neglect. But I tried everything I could at the time to survive. I started stealing food and money in 2nd grade because I wasn’t fed enough at home.  Read more>>

NoChillSaint

Resilience means different things to different people, but my definition of resilience is the ability to continue to try new things no matter if the outcome is positive or negative. I wasn’t always this resilient. It is a skill that I have improved upon and I’m slowly refining it every day. My resilience comes from my unwavering ability to find something else I need to improve upon. Read more>>

Marcus Palmer

My resilience comes from so many different things growing up I was raised In Rancho Cucamonga, California in a pretty decent area there were a lot of trial and errors where I would fail a lot in the things that I loved sports education and I would continue to fight to press forward know matter how many times I fail That is the way I live my life.  Read more>>

Eleven xx

The cosmic joke of life is that through the greatest adversity comes the greatest breakthrough. It’s often those that have gone through the depths of the seasons of inevitable abyss swallowing us completely whole that we come out the other side with an intoxicating awareness of what the word resilience truly means. Read more>>

Holly S. Roberts

At the age of eleven, I witnessed a harrowing crime and was threatened with the death of my entire family if I spoke out. My silence persisted until my thirties when I confided in my husband and then my mother. My journey towards change was gradual and all-encompassing, spanning many years. I transformed myself as a teen mother of two to a successful bookstore owner for twenty years. Read more>>

Christina Torres

My momma. My community. My femininity. My culture. Growing up in NYC is so fast paced. Growing up a POC and LGBTQ takes a lot of identity twist and turns. And being single parent, and a daughter of a single parent teaches you a lot about love, self-love, resiliency and resourcefulness. My parents are very resilient. Guess I was born with it. But I’m a dreamer. I think everything is possible if you give it enough time, energy, and passion. Read more>>

Karlief Taylor-Legend

A close call with death back 2017 when I was diagnosed with cancer. I realized then that I did not want to die not having completed my purpose in life. So my wife and I created a the first of its kind studio space specially for content creators on a budget. We opened it 2020 march 6 right before covid and we have not looked back. Read more>>

Robert Palmer

This is the million-dollar question if ever there was one. How does one in an endeavor like film/TV or any creative calling build up the thick skin to deal with rejection, near hits, failures on failures? As Tom Hanks famously quoted in ‘A League of Their Own,’ ‘If it were easy, everyone would do it.’ Being resilient is probably the most important skill to learn as one ventures into any profession but especially that of a creative.  Read more>>

Michael Matos

Resilience is built by experiencing hellish circumstances and telling yourself “This won’t be enough to stop me.” Personally, my drive stems from a combination of dedicating myself to a cause and asking myself: “If I don’t accomplish this task myself, am I comfortable leaving it to chance in the hands of another?”  Read more>>

Victoria King

Resilience is the key to success in small business. Many of us will face challenges and barriers along the way. These setbacks should be be viewed as opportunities for growth. It is important to remain adaptable and learn from failures in order to thrive in business. Read more>>

JV Torres

I grew up in a large family in a poor neighborhood. Money was super tight and my parents went through a divorce when I was very young. So from early on, I had to navigate the complexities of my situation at home. From dealing with siblings much older than me to fending off psychological bullying from classmates at school.  Read more>>

Kate Mayer

My Mum! I grew up as the eldest of three kids with a single mum. I watched her overcome so many hardships and obstacles, she just kept getting up and getting on with it. There was nothing she wouldn’t have a go at, and I was usually by her side helping and learning. I watched her tile the bathroom, landscape the garden, lay a patio… all whilst working full time as a nurse and running a house. Thanks Mum, I love you! Read more>>

Roxanne Vogel

My resilience comes from my mother. I learned from a very young age not to make excuses and that I had to do what needed to be done in order to achieve. I watched my mother work hard as a single mother and business owner to support our family. She constantly pushed me and my siblings to do better and be better. Having someone behind you pushing you that never gives up builds your own intrinsic resilience, for me that was my mom. Read more>>

Brooke Molinaroli

I always had to work hard in school to achieve good grades. I was not a naturally gifted student. I also loved sports particularly soccer. Although I had some athletic ability, similarly, I spent time practicing fundamental skills, such as dribbling and juggling constantly and repetitively. I learned that this practice and effort did yield results. Read more>>

Caroline Carniel

I am quite driven, to be honest. I have always valued work ethics and strive to do my best in getting things done. Over the past 10 years, I have found myself working on many things that weren’t my dream job, and waking up every day to do something you don’t love is challenging. I believe my resilience stems from those experiences. Perhaps I even thrive on these jobs I didn’t love, always aspiring to change and pursue what I truly enjoy. Read more>>

Jim Tullio

I get that purely from loving what i do….producing music has been a passion for decades and has never let up! Read more>>

Llewelyn Thomas

I think this comes from my view of life. I have always enjoyed life and the diversity it offers. A positive outlook helps me to focus on experiencing the varied days having a business offers. Dont get me wrong its not always roses and sunshine there are days when its hard but these are the few downs the the many ups. Read more>>

Phoenix Crutchfield

I owe all of my resilience to my mom. She’s the reason why I have the confidence to pursue my dreams and work hard for what I want. I’ve watched my mom raise two kids by herself, while in school, and working full time. Read more>>

Alex Colder

My resilience to keep moving forward and constantly progressing is a true test of my faith and has stemmed from all of my set backs and adversity I have faced in my life. Whether it be from losing my baseball scholarship due to having a heart attack at only 21 years old. Read more>>

Jude Simon

Growing up in Haiti, life wasn’t easy in so many ways. However, looking back, it feels like every day brought its own set of challenges, whether it was natural disasters, gangs, or Peyi lòk. Despite these hardships, I had to figure out how to overcome them. I didn’t always succeed, but I learned to keep going no matter what. Is that resignation? No, I don’t think so; it’s called resilience. Read more>>

Lyn Cole

I was born premature and developed resilience as a result. My early days were spent with parents who emphasized the limitations imposed by my birth. I resented that statement every time I heard it, so I set out to defy those expectations. As an adult, I worked in male-dominated tech jobs, where I was told I “couldn’t fix computers because I was a girl.”  Read more>>

Oscar Loreto Jr

My family. My mother and sister instilled resiliency in me at a young age. Read more>>

Amira Hussein

My resilience comes from facing adversity and never giving up. It’s getting up time and time again, after you’ve fallen. I’ve always believed the more you face your fears, the stronger you become. Remembering my “why” keeps me going, and every time I overcome a challenge, the easier it is for me to challenge myself again with something new and more “scary.” Read more>>

Jerel Smith

I’d say it comes from a combination of sources. From an early age I witnessed my grandfather withstand several challenges daily…,my mother as well, and in the midst of whatever those circumstances were, there always seemed to be a way out, light at the end of the tunnel, and neither of them ever gave in. Read more>>

Bhumika Choudhary

After being born the size of my mother’s palm, I spent my first four weeks inside an incubator. My premature birth did not allow my speaking abilities to develop completely and I spent my infancy in soundproof therapy rooms as elsewhere, other children used their words to indulge in play and games. Read more>>

TooBrightSHINE

I get my resilience from failure. I’ve learned that failure is one of the most important aspects of being a successful person in general. I’ve learned the most from losing and turning it into an opportunity to win. People usually give up after failure because of self doubt which turns into self sabotage. I learned to fail until I succeed. Read more>>

Kevin Gerald

In my experience, once I decided to make music my business, I knew I need resilience and a thick skin. I found that I had to make both creative and business decisions every day. I try not to place too much value on the importance of any one decision because, for me, once I classify a decision as “important,” I begin to lose track of the enjoyment of the process and focus too much on the outcome.  Read more>>

Stephanie Oplinger

I once read the quote, “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” (Earl Nightingale) This quote struck me at the time, but it didn’t really mean anything until 10 years later. Freshly clueless at 18, I did what I was bid to do – get a “real job.” I had a great passion for art and film, but those things were relegated to a side hobby or side business only. Read more>>

Vanessa Béjine

Resilience is something learned. You have to endure struggles, and hurt and failures to build resilience. It teaches us that we are stronger than we think, and when we keep pushing through during those moments we feel we cant go on anymore we experience some of our biggest breakthroughs.  Read more>>

Rachel Bradley

I’d say my resilience comes from God and my community. There have been many times where I genuinely want to give up, or where I’ve questioned myself and business; but, having a strong village and an even stronger belief in God has been major for me. Read more>>