We’ve shared some incredible stories of resilience below that we hope will help you on your journey towards building up your resilience.
Ryan Whittaker
My childhood was rough. There was violence in the home early on. Addiction and crime were a way of life for my family when I was young. My mother was a very troubled soul who could never fully kick her addiction to substances or deal with her demons. We were homeless at one point. Read More>>
Jimmie Brooks
My resilience comes from a few things. The main one is fighting the battle everyday to not become a statistic of my city. It’s rare for black men in my neighborhood to get past the age of 21. Read More>>
Di Tran
I was not born resilient. I became resilient because life demanded it from me long before I felt ready. I came to the United States as an immigrant with very limited English, no money, and a deep sense that my parents had sacrificed everything so I could have a chance. Read More>>
Sierra Hall
Honestly, my resilience comes from purpose. Music has always been my therapy, and it taught me how to turn pain into something meaningful. Every playlist I build, every review I write, every artist I connect with reminds me of how far I’ve come. I’ve gone through real healing and had to rebuild my confidence, but this work keeps me grounded. Read More>>
Rachel Silva
My resilience began long before I knew what to call it. I learned early how to stay soft through difficult seasons and lose myself in writing and reading, when everything else was harsh around me. Losing my mother 7 years ago, shaped that more than anything. Grief cracked me open and reminded me how fragile and precious everything is. Painting appeared then, quietly. Read More>>
Janet Orozco Feller
My resilience comes from my faith in God and the love of my family. I’ve learned to trust that everything — the good, the hard, and even the things that don’t make sense right away — is being woven together by God for my good. That belief gives me peace and reminds me that I’m never walking this journey alone. Read More>>
Hannah Mettler
Deeply driven by the pursuit of human connection, artistic excellence, and the power of education, my resilience is motivated by a desire to serve those around me through the art of dance. I am a dance artist, educator, and creative that truly believes creativity will help connect and save the world. Read More>>
Debbie Baisden
My husband’s unexpected death in 2012 turned my world upside down. This unexpected tragedy blindsided our 4 young sons (ages 4-8 at the time) as we grappled with devastating loss and relentless pain. I was a stay-at-home mom who now shouldered the weight of providing for a family and attempting to be 2 parents. Read More>>
Brandan Rader
Resilience is forged through self-belief, adversity, and strength. Since childhood, I have believed in my capacity to achieve greatness; I have perceived every adversity as a lesson to be learned and a challenge to be overcome; and I have cultivated healthy habits for mental and physical strength. Read More>>
Tamarrice Parker
I get my resilience from God first, and from the people who raised me. I come from a place where you don’t get anything handed to you, you have to build it, protect it, and believe in it before anyone else can see it. Every closed door, every ‘no,’ every moment where I felt invisible… those became fuel. Read More>>
Kandice Hopkins
Resilience has been the heartbeat of my journey. From childhood battles with asthma and early adversity to becoming a mother at 19 while in college, every setback became a setup for growth. I paused school, later earning my master’s in social work which is proof that detours don’t stop destiny. Read More>>
David Cericola
I have developed resilience from the challenges that I have had in life. This is especially true when it comes to my art. I’ve always been interested in trying to express myself through art. I tried many different mediums such as watercolors, acrylics, and oil paintings, and time after time, I was rejected for various reasons. Read More>>
Norica Canty
Although I did not realize this until years later, I come from a long line of black women who are resilient. First and foremost, I have to give credit to them for instilling something in me before I even knew how much I would need this trait. Like a lot of women, my resilience come from being let down, overlooked, and discarded. Read More>>
Sifat Mahmud
My resilience comes from a blend of passion, purpose, and persistence. From an early age, I’ve been driven by the desire to create something meaningful — something that adds real value to people’s lives. Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve faced challenges, rejections, and moments of uncertainty, but each one taught me to adapt and grow stronger. Read More>>
Doc Van Etten
When I was a young child from the moment I can remember, I lived with my grandparents and their big block house, along with my dad and mom and my two sisters. My sisters were older and my dad was always gone for work. Read More>>
Wick Zimmer
From constantly being dealt bad cards, over and over again. At some point, you stop complaining and take a step back. Your mindset shifts. Instead of seeing yourself as a victim of circumstance, you start breaking down why you ended up in those situations to begin with. Was it bad luck? A mistake on your part? Wrong place, wrong time? Maybe. Read More>>
Natasia Nolan-Hodge
My resilience comes from faith. I’ve had some challenging seasons in my life, and I’ve learned that God always has a reason for what He allows. I’ve learned to cultivate a mindset where instead of asking “why me,” I’ve learned to ask “what is this teaching me?” That shift has helped me to move through difficulty with a bit more ease. Read More>>
Colleen
Resilience has been built into every chapter of my life. I’ve always believed that challenges aren’t meant to stop us — they’re meant to strengthen us. Over the years, I’ve learned that resilience comes from trusting myself, leaning on my faith, and surrounding myself with people who lift me higher — including my family, who have always been my anchor. Read More>>
Vanessa Hardy
My resilience comes from a belief in love. I know that there is nothing that can happen to me that I cannot work around in the name of love. I tend to hold a lot of grief and sadness inside. So much so that I developed some issues with my heart years ago. Read More>>
Ning Liando
I think my resilience comes from the quiet moments — the ones where I had to figure things out on my own. Being adopted taught me early on how to adapt, how to observe, and how to find my own place in the world. Read More>>
Nicole Garrison
I was dealt a rough hand at life and was born into a family of addicts. My siblings and I were taken from our parents at an early age. I learned from that moment on that I was on my own. Read More>>
Ali Cameron
As a mother of 4 girls, I didn’t just wake up one day a resilient human. It takes digging deep within yourself, and a constant and vigilant dedication to growing, pivoting, overcoming all of the challenges life throws at you. Read More>>
Miles Schneider
My resilience was not established overnight, but built over years of dedication to my craft. As an artist, it takes time to create your brand, social connections, and a supportive network. Read More>>
Kofi Oliver
If you want to understand resilience in Hollywood, you’ve got to start with rejection. It’s not something that happens once in a while; it’s par for the course. You learn to take the hits, develop a thick skin, and tuck your ego in your pocket. Because if you don’t, this business will chew you up and spit you out. Read More>>
Kim Marie
Resilience is a capacity to navigate life’s challenges, extremes and difficulties in such a way that we can maintain our sense of center, our flexibility and strength, and an ability to recover from life’s painful moments. It’s not about never having those moments, but rather an ability to meet them with courage, move through them consciously, and cultivate deeper wisdom in the process. Read More>>
Dr. Kimberly Sellars-Bates
My resilience comes from my faith, my purpose, and the people I serve. I’ve learned that resilience isn’t just about pushing through challenges — it’s about staying grounded in what matters most. My faith reminds me that every obstacle has a purpose. My family and mentors have shown me the power of perseverance. Read More>>
Valerie Christina
My resilience comes from learning to bridge two worlds — the structured, strategic world of leadership and entrepreneurship, and the fluid, intuitive world of healing. As both a business owner and a practitioner of acupuncture and somatic coaching, I’ve learned that growth rarely happens in straight lines. It unfolds through cycles of expansion and contraction, action and stillness, clarity and uncertainty. Read More>>
Carla Gibson
I get my resilience from my mom — and from life itself, along with the support systems I’ve been blessed with through family, friends, and the connections I’ve made over my 29 years of living. Take last October for example — I found out that my LLC had been administratively dissolved. Read More>>
Abigail Tannebaum Sharon
There is no question my resilience comes from my mom. She was different than all of my friends’ moms– she worked tirelessly as a nurse, never had the time to volunteer at my school, and often missed my sports games. Yet she managed to be loving but overbearing, sometimes erratic, and often intense. Read More>>
Kerwin Gonzalez
I have a powerful motto that I repeat daily, ‘no excuses just results’. I can live with the results at the end of the day if I know I gave 110 percent, I don’t stop when I’m tired I stop when I’m done. Read More>>
Jasmine Medel
I get my resilience from my dad. For a time, he was a single parent, and I watched him work incredibly hard to make sure we always had everything we needed and even the things we wanted. Read More>>
Ryanna Quazi
I think I get my resiliency from my parents originally. My parents have gone through significant challenges in their lives since immigrating to the United States in the 1980s. Read More>>
Teresa Smith
My resilience comes from my grandmother and mother. My grandmother passed down timeless lessons of strength and faith to my mother, who then modeled them for me. She taught me how to stand firm in faith while still moving forward in life. Growing up, I watched my mother live those lessons with dignity, grace, and grit. Read More>>
Duce Mat Noir
I’ve failed more times than I can count, but I don’t see failure as a setback. Each one taught me something valuable. I take those lessons, apply them, and try again — that’s how my resilience was built. Read More>>
Bharti Trivedi
My resilience was built long before I became an artist. Growing up in a big, lively household with siblings meant learning to hold my ground, fight for what I believed in, and start over when things didn’t go my way. My parents taught me that effort mattered more than outcomes — that nothing worth having comes easily. Read More>>
Honey Daii
Resilience looks different for everyone, and I believe it’s shaped by our experiences, obstacles, and joys in life. I was raised by resilient family members my parents, siblings, and extended family. That strength was echoed to me as a child through their actions, decisions, stories, failures, and successes. Read More>>
Keneshia Brown-Ward
I draw my resilience from Christ. My faith has been the constant source of peace in every season. I’ve learned that true strength isn’t about pushing through on my own, but about surrendering to God and trusting His plan. When I face challenges, I go back to Scripture — verses like Philippians 4:13 or Isaiah 40:31 remind me that my endurance comes from Him. Read More>>
Shawn Dyer
I fell in love with sports at an early age. I developed a passion for basketball early on and I realized I was one of the shortest guys. I didn’t grow until I was maybe a 10-11th grader in High School. Not many High School athletes play on at the next level (collegiate) nor do many 6’0 guys get an opportunity. Read More>>
Jessica Moore
My resilience comes from a combination of self-reliance, curiosity, and a willingness to figure things out as I go. I’m completely self-taught, so I’ve learned to embrace challenges as part of the creative process. Every new project—whether it’s a live event, a branding shoot, or a campaign—has pushed me to adapt quickly, learn new techniques, and trust my instincts. Read More>>
Maria-Joelle Morris
I feel like I have had a charmed life, however I’m no stranger to grief. I lost my beloved Father almost a decade ago, and we were extremely close. He was resilient, in general, as a person. He instilled in me a sense of strength and courage and that anything was possible. Read More>>
Lauren Williams
I think my resilience was born the moment fear and courage first met I was seven years old, standing on a small stage for my first oratorical competition during Black History Month. My family had me practicing every day—poem, gestures, timing—but when the moment came, I froze. My teacher, Ms. Read More>>
Lori Gama
Resilience isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you choose, again and again, when giving up would be easier. It’s the decision to rise when the weight of the world tells you to stay down. And it’s the knowing—wired into me by the women who raised me—that there is always, always, a way forward. I learned that watching my mother after my father died suddenly. Read More>>
Theo “Rick Vick” Johnson
When you become the “backup” for everybody else, you learn early how to be your own rescue team. You don’t wait around for the “Are you okay?” or “How are you feeling?”—because those questions don’t always show up for people like us. Read More>>
