We’ve shared some incredible stories of resilience below that we hope will help you on your journey towards building up your resilience.
Madison Salavec
I used to think “toughening up” was the answer to bouncing back, but after a season of life filled with failure and loss, I have learned that staying soft, open and present is the secret. The reality is, life will always include ups and downs and in most cases, we learn the most from the downs. So instead of ignoring what each challenge is trying to teach me, I get curious. Read more>>
Mavis Shi
It’s been nine years since I started my yoga journey back in 2015. I remember feeling lost and confused after losing my first job, not knowing what the future held. Despite trying to fix things, everything felt chaotic until I met my first yoga teacher. Desperate for a change, I decided to give yoga a try, and it transformed my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Read more>>
Erla Dogg Ingjaldsdottir
Growing up, I was deeply influenced by my grandparents, who were farmers in Iceland. They managed a farm with 50 sheeps, 4 cows, chickens, and horses. Farm life was relentless; someone always needed to feed the animals, and during summers, the task of cutting and drying grass was critical and depended heavily on the rare dry spells we got. This taught me the importance of timing, patience, and hard work. Read more>>
Keisha Tucker
I get my resilience mostly from my Mom. She has always taught me to be ambitious. And in order to get to where you’re going you can never quit or crumble. So whatever negative event happens I just always try to bounce back. Read more>>
Kupah James
Looking back at my childhood, there was quite a bit of misfortune and undesirable circumstances. Prejudice, bullying at school (jr high/high school), some family disfunction and poverty were difficult obstacle to overcome. I’m not convinced I’m fully over them, more-so I work to cope with them and use them as fuel for positive self talk and an optimistic projection into the world. Read more>>
Sydney Noble
I was raised by a single mother in Detroit, MI who somehow found the balance of raising me and running her own small business simultaneously. Growing up I was constantly surrounded by the arts and was always encouraged to find and follow my passions. The examples set before me by “my pillars” ( my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother) taught me how to cultivate and fight for your dreams while also being the best woman I could be in the world. Read more>>
Leslie Gallagher
My mother. She married a man that on paper seemed to be her dream husband. Handsome. Hardworking. Very smart. Charming. On his way to becoming financially very successful. Probably nuts about her. She thought they would have the American dream raising a family and building a life together. But within a week of getting married (at age 23) she went to the library to look up schizophrenia. Read more>>
Brandon Dean Johnson
My resilience is deeply rooted in the values instilled in me by the men in my family. From a young age, I was taught that perseverance is essential to overcoming life’s challenges. This lesson carried me through various stages of my life, from navigating the rigors of school and college to living independently in Europe for several years. Each of these experiences demanded unwavering perseverance. Read more>>
Santiago León
During my childhood, we faced challenging situations in both health and financial aspects. My mother went through a pregnancy while battling uterine cancer and later on, appendicitis. Thankfully, she came out the other side okay and with a healthy baby, my brother. I have witnessed my parents struggle and succeed, and in both moments, they kept moving forward, always looking ahead. Read more>>
Helena Goto
It is no secret that failure builds resilience, so one can rightly assume that I have had my fair share of failure. I remember at times wondering if there was something wrong with me because nothing ever seemed to come easily. Was it that I expected to fail? Did I send out loser energy? Was I pushing so hard that I was pushing what I wanted away from me? Read more>>
Tori Randolph
Being a daughter of immigrant parents who escaped the Khmer Rouge, or the Cambodian Genocide, I’ve learned early on what true strength, love and resilience can look like through both my parents. They are generous, kind, and amazing individuals that worked hard to be who they are and to provide the life they have for me and my brother. Read more>>
Allexa Fiori
I believe being resilient is something we learn as human beings with time and through life experiences. When something goes wrong do we bounce back or fall apart? Practicing gratitude helps us to recognize the positive aspects of our lives. Read more>>
Charlene Potter
I think being human means being resilient. We would not exist and persist if we were not resilient. We get through the stumbling blocks as we learn and grow. That is what growth is and we don’t continue without growth. The cycle of life allows us all to face challenges, make the best of things, and carry on. Read more>>
Angelica Mack
I got my resilience from my parents. They both showed me the importance of working hard and never giving up! It was something I learned from just watching them as I grew up! Read more>>
DeShawn White
My faith in God foundationally supports my resilience and has been naturally witnessed in my mother, Andrea, my grandmother, Violet, and my sister, Destiny. Growing up in the suburbs or Prince George’s County, MD, in the 90s, you’d be hard-pressed to find a family who wasn’t successful in one way or another. Read more>>
Blaire Needham
My resilience comes from being a dancer. I began taking classes when I was 3 years old, progressing to competitive dance teams, training at renowned dance schools in the summer, dancing on my college team, and performing professionally in NYC. As wonderful as dance is, a lot of rejection comes with it. Read more>>
Ta’Shayla Gomillion
In times of adversity, I find solace in knowing that this moment does not mark the end of my journey. With unwavering faith, I cling to the promise of eternity, trusting in God’s guidance as I strive to live a righteous life. Read more>>
Jerad Green
On May 17, 2021 I was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. My life was uprooted and no one was certain about whether I could live a normal life again or not. My initial doctor told me that I have a 1 in 2 chance of survival, that I’d be on permanent disability, and should consider next steps in my life. This moment was one of the scariest I’ve encountered, but a life of constant transition and uncertainty equipped me with the resilience to cope with this news. Read more>>
Yikai Qiao
For me, building resilience is a long-term process that involves preparing for life’s challenges and getting to know myself better. It’s not an easy journey, but it helps me become a better version of myself. Based on my experience, engaging in my hobbies gives me extra energy when overcoming difficulties and makes me more resilient to life’s challenges. Read more>>
Sarai Brooks
Since I can remember, I have been an observer of those who break down barriers, follow through with set goals, and don’t stop at their first no. My front row seat to this mindset is the example my parents set. Read more>>
Libby Reimer
I have been sitting on this question for a while now… trying to think of what particular event or characteristic of myself I got my resilience from. I cannot just pin point one thing in my life, but in fact multiple aspects. The main one though is from my fluency disorder. Read more>>
Mishila Ashlyn
By definition resilience is the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties. I believe my life experiences,especially as a child, has helped me develop resilience. I grew up with a single mom of 5 and watched her work through every hardship she had. I helped watch my younger brothers and became sort of a mother figure when she wasn’t around. Read more>>
Lala Sewell
Being a mother of two strong boys with sickle cell disease has given me incredible resilience. Their courage and happiness, despite frequent hospital visits, inspire me every day. They are true warriors, and I have no choice but to be the mother of warriors. Read more>>
Bryan Bowser
I got my resilience from growing up in South Central Los Angeles. In that environment, you had to have a sense of resilience to survive. My mother taught me you always have a chance to learn, take the lessons and become a better person. Read more>>
Silvia Minguzzi
I’m a immigrant woman from Italy who moved to the USA in 2005. I’ve got a Master Degree in Graphic Design (MFA) from CSU after working in NY City as Art Director for WET Women Expressive Theater, a production company that produces media which challenges female stereotypes and advocates for equality. Read more>>
Rachel Hayes
Growing up and being around religion in various ways as well as having positive outside resources and a non biological mom and family helped to bring up my resilience and positive outlook on life. I played sports and build positive relationships in those capacities as well that helped to provide reasons for wanting to live. Read more>>
Ms Abigail
One fall day back in 2021, I was working with a dance studio at a teacher training. I was celebrating having been with this said studio for a whole season, during which, I was handed a thank you card from my studio owner telling me that I was incredibly resilient after all I have lived through and how deeply she was in awe of me. Read more>>
Alison Koehler
Resilience in creative fields is extremely important. Pursuing creativity as a full time career is not an easy thing to do. It is impossible to fully disconnect yourself from your work, there’s always a little part of you in it. And so when inevitably rejection comes, you have to be able to weather it. It’s not something I’m 100% an expert on yet. Read more>>
Victoria Pelletier
My resilience is deeply rooted in my personal history. Overcoming significant adversity and trauma in my youth has shaped a strong internal resilience DNA within me. It’s the driving force that fuels my determination and grit. Additionally, I’ve learned the importance of what I refer to as “healthy resilience” which includes goal setting, self-reflection and strategic and intentional thoughts, actions and behaviours. Read more>>
C.J. Wright
Greetings, and thank you for having me. I believe there have been a lot of constructs that have added to me learning to become resilient. One of the biggest things that helped my resilience grow was my lack of confidence in myself coupled with my desire to always want to grow and become the best version of myself. A time in my life where I would see both these traits collide was when I first decided to play basketball. Read more>>
Sky Cowans
Resilience is in my DNA. Like the story of many Americans, my great grandparents immigrated from Italy with nothing and had to figure out how to survive in the New World. My grandfather created his version of the American Dream through pure grit and hard work. I witnessed both my grandfather and my parents work tirelessly to provide for their children and future generations to come. When things got tough, they never gave up. Read more>>
