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.

Gehan A Cooray

Jesus Christ once said – “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own family” – and quite apart from having weathered a series of divorces my parents went through while I was a child, and a series of new partners they got involved with well into my adolescent years, I have always had to deal with a particularly pernicious faction of my extended family who have tried to sabotage me at every turn due to their extreme jealousy, spite and avarice. Read more>>

Danielle Jones

Resilience, to me, is all about bouncing back from tough times and keeping a positive outlook, no matter what life throws your way. It’s about staying strong and adaptable, even when things don’t go as planned. It’s the ability to withstand, recover, and grow in the face of stress and challenges. Read more>>

Michelle Curry

My resilience comes from my mother. I remember at an early age my brother and I discussing our goals, dreams, and aspirations with my mother. My mother made sure my brother and I understood that we could be and do anything we set our mind to. My mother stressed the importance of having a plan. Read more>>

Amanda Harris

In life, there are some things that shape the core of who we are. They become embedded into the fiber of our being. I used to feel like being resilient was an insult. In fact, being resilient requires a whole lot of darkness to appreciate the light. Read more>>

Jonah Howard

The thing that has helped build our resilience the most is becoming comfortable with instability. The life of a musician does not offer very many clear checkpoints to affirm that any one action is helping lead to success.  Read more>>

Evelynne Gomes-Greenberg

I think resilience comes from many places in my life. I had a lot of hardships early on, my parents were separated when I was born which is always hard for the children. My mom became sick with cancer when I was 7 and passed away when I was 10.  Read more>>

Erica Clark

I can’t say I’ve mastered any kind of miraculous method of bouncing back after setbacks, but I can definitely share a few tactics that have been massively helpful for me! I think that more than anything, striving to be more gentle with myself when I feel that I’ve fallen short in some way makes a huge difference.  Read more>>

Trista Magallon

Whenever I face difficulties, I draw on the strength of the important people in my life. I remember my mother’s unwavering commitment to never give up throughout my childhood, my husband’s continuous forward movement and learning, my father and stepmother’s example of forgiveness and love, and my best friend’s fearless pursuits of their passions. Read more>>

Rachel Lee

I get my resilience from my family. It all started with my grandfather who was an inventor. He invented cheeses and other natural body products. I believe he loved making his products because it helped him build connections to people.  Read more>>

Veronica Brown

My resilience stems from the experience of losing my father, an event that initially left me feeling lost and overwhelmed. In the midst of this grief, I found strength in the love of God, which became a guiding light during my darkest moments.  Read more>>

Sherry Rhymer-Green

My resilience stems from a combination of factors. Firstly, my upbringing instilled in me a strong work ethic and determination to succeed, which has been pivotal in navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Each setback I’ve faced has taught me invaluable lessons, reinforcing my adaptability and problem-solving skills. Read more>>

David McGuire

Running a animal protection non profit is like running a small business- without the product sales! We have to stay upbeat and flexible when the economy is bad and donations are scarce and foundation funding dries up. Read more>>

Darius Caffey

A lot of the resilience that I’ve gained over my life has come from the people who have grown up in the community with me. My grandparents, my parents, my siblings, cousins, friends, role models, teachers, mentors, peers, etc. I’ve learned from all of them. Read more>>

Kellin Sproul

I think I owe a lot of it to my stubbornness. Early on in my art journey, when I would see someone succeeding at their art, it would inspire me to get better on my own, not only to be a good artist, but also partially to show up the other person (I was around 10 years old). Read more>>

Laura Woodworth

Anyone who is a creative knows the rollercoaster ride this profession can be. Good news one day can turn the next. A deal sealed can go south if minds or the market changes and the project morphs into something other than what you signed on for. Read more>>

Becky Yee

I think my resilience comes from an innate sense of curiosity and passion for life and creativity. Whatever life throws my way, I try to take the positive aspects and what I could learn from any experiences and challenges. Read more>>

Mariella Mahal

I am the child of an immigrant family and two teen parents. If I didn’t find my own resilience, my environment would have fostered a future I could not be proud of. I grew up constantly seeing my family struggle with money and while their poor financial habits could have passed onto me, I instead used it as motivation to never suffer from the same issues in my adult life. Read more>>

Ari Tibi

I get my resilience from all directions, but it originates with my parents, that’s for sure! They’re both bold, creative, and I know I got my mom’s tenacity. I remember I was about 11 years old, watching a stage being built at the community center in my neighborhood and I told my mom I wanted to perform on it. Read more>>

vivian rada

My resilience comes from several deep and significant sources in my life. First and foremost, my personal and professional experiences have played a crucial role. As a psychologist, hypnotherapist, and holistic integral therapist, I have faced and overcome numerous challenges in both my personal life and my career. Each obstacle overcome has strengthened my ability to adapt and persevere. Read more>>

Brady Allio

I come from a small town called Juneau in Southeast Alaska. I was born on August 23 to my loving parents, Brett and Heather Allio. I wasn’t born like everyone else though. I was born 100% Deaf – nothing, nada, zip! All the cliches you can muster – I just couldn’t hear. Read more>>

Harry Locke IV

I scoured the web for a profound quote that I thought would best summarize my experience in resilience, and ultimately, a lyric belted by David Lee Roth in Van Halen’s “Jump” is what I found to be the most succinct: “You’ve got to roll with the punches to get to what’s real.” Read more>>

Travis Richey

The only way through the storm is through it! When a storm approaches, buffaloes and bison can sense it and will often turn and charge directly into it. This behavior is said to minimize the amount of time and pain they experience from the storm.  Read more>>

Shawnte Jackson

I believe my resilience is a direct result of life but led by my faith. I have encountered numerous obstacles in my life that I have had to overcome. The roadblocks that have tried to detour my life from childhood and into my adult life only seemed to push me harder to achieve more.  Read more>>

Kelly Lancarte

My reliance came from a long line of strong women. My great-grandmother was born in Michoacán and arrived in Texas without formal education, nor did she speak English. Mamasuez’s journey is not just a tale of survival but one of triumph.  Read more>>

Linda Macintyre

I believe resiliency is our birthright, yet we can be conditioned to feel powerless. Life experiences can stretch us to our limit, and these changes are intended to foster soul growth. It can be hard to remember this when we are in the middle of a life-altering change.  Read more>>

Nicholas Espinosa

I achieve resilience through the unwavering support of my family, friends, and everyone who has been a part of my journey in becoming a photographer. Their encouragement and belief in me have been a constant source of strength, helping me to overcome challenges and stay focused on my passion.  Read more>>

Melissa Hefferlin

My family of origin was rich in creativity and inventiveness, though of modest means. My sisters and I were taught from childhood to invent games and toys, play with what we had, and find ways to make things work. My sister’s motto out of our childhood remains, “Start where you are. Do what you can. Use what you have.” Read more>>

Jonathan Unger

Resilience is something that takes consistent work and internal reflection, along with a wealth of faith. Over time, resilience can take on many forms, including a flexible mindset, the ability to view an obstacle as an opportunity, making sure to pause before reacting, and it can even look like you deciding to put your own mental health first instead of saying yes to one more thing. Read more>>

Rachael Williams

Great question! I feel like resilience comes along with internalized experience. As a songwriter and ecologist, I tend to use a lot of metaphors and relate most things in life to the natural world. Each person has channels of purpose. These channels, like all waterways, have an internal compass orienting them to seek the sea. Read more>>

Floriane Andersen

I think I developed resilience at a very early age out of necessity. Nobody in my surrounding came from the art world, and was very scared by it. They never pushed me in that direction and even tried to discourage me to pursue that path. In a way I am grateful for that cause they prepared me for potential failure. Read more>>

Bonnie Yi Hyde

My resilience is deeply rooted in my upbringing in China, where I had the privilege of witnessing my mother’s remarkable journey. She single-handedly managed multiple businesses, ensuring not only my education in private schools but also every material necessity. Read more>>

Kay Melbrell

I am a problem solver. It is a core value and intricate piece of who I am. Growing up I heard a lot of phrases like, “I bet you can figure it out.” and “Sounds like a problem you can solve on your own.” Also as a kid in the 90s living in rural Alaska, I didn’t have cable and only rudimentary computer games.  Read more>>