Stories & Perspectives on Resilience Building – Bold Journey Magazine

We’ve shared some incredible stories of resilience below that we hope will help you on your journey towards building up your resilience.

Janel K. Lauren

I actually went through a phase between 10 and 14 that was so humbling. That was when a lot of girls were blooming, and finding their stride in social circles, and then there was me, hips that were too wide for my frame, and hair that I didn’t know how to comb. I was awkward and very uncomfortable. Read More>>

Chelsi Low

The biggest drivers of resilience for me are gratitude and the satisfaction I get from helping people get outside and connect with nature. I am so lucky to have my health, support from family and friends and to be in the place and economic situation that I am. Read More>>

Shubhra Jain

For me, resilience means being unstoppable. It’s not that I don’t feel doubt or overwhelm — I do, almost every day. There are moments when the to-do list feels endless and the vision feels too big. But I refuse to sit in the setback. Read More>>

Angela

I get my resilience from the dogs and the people I work with every day. Seeing a dog overcome fear or a family finally find peace in their home reminds me why the hard moments are worth it. I also lean on my spiritual connection and the belief that everything happens for a reason—even setbacks carry lessons that shape the path forward. Read More>>

Adrian Aviles

One of the earliest and most defining events that shaped my resilience was losing my mother at a young age. Facing such a profound hardship so early in life taught me that no matter how painful or difficult a moment may feel, it will eventually pass. Read More>>

Solange Santana

My resilience comes from life itself. I’ve learned through every fall, every silence, every new beginning. I’ve worked hard and have always drawn inspiration from strong women — they taught me about courage, vulnerability, and growth. Especially through relationships, I came to understand that feminine strength isn’t just about endurance, but about turning pain into power. Read More>>

Bao Su

A lot of my resilience comes from my kids. Being strong for them has always been mission-critical for me. But it also comes from a choice I make every day — to keep building, to keep learning, and to turn struggles into fuel. That combination keeps me moving forward. Read More>>

Lorena Lorenzo Garcia

I will say ppl often build resilience by overcoming challenges in their lives. Each time someone faces adversity and learns how to manage it, they develop coping tools that make them stronger for the next challenge. I feel this was the story of my life always! Read More>>

Noam Friedlander

Like many others during the pandemic, I had to pivot. I am a published author and established writer, but the world had shut down, and I had to think about what I really enjoy doing—as well as something that could be done from a remote location. One of my obsessions has been genealogy, in particular researching my family tree. Read More>>

Julia Byers

I’ve been on a long journey creatively. I finished my first novel at thirteen and spent the next fifteen years single-mindedly focused on writing more novels and trying desperately to get one published. I eventually ended up working in publishing, but never managed to get published myself. By twenty-eight, I was burnt out and honestly heartbroken. Read More>>

Sarah Larsen

I get my resilience from my upbringing. I have been on my own by choice since I was a teen. As the youngest of 9, born into a family of all very independent people, I couldn’t wait to grow up. My Dad always says I was ‘a 2 yr old 18 yr old’. Read More>>

Amanda Darrow

I get my resilience from finally allowing myself to be my true, authentic self. For a long time, I felt like I had to hide parts of who I was or fit into boxes that didn’t really belong to me. Carrying that weight was exhausting, and it kept me from really believing in my own strength. Read More>>

Malikat Al Dabke

Our resilience comes from continuing to do what we do amidst challenging times, especially when there is direct censorship and attack on Palestinian people and anyone who speaks up about the genocide and participates in Palestinian culture. Existing is resisting, and we ensure that our heritage stays alive by constantly creating new dances, learning from and engaging with the community. Read More>>

Nique Triplett

My resilience stems from the battles life has thrown my way since childhood. As I navigate through the world, I focus on my past experiences and current surroundings. This dual focus allows me to learn from everyone I encounter, storing that knowledge for future endeavors. While many people draw lessons from family and friends, I find value in the insights gained from every interaction. Read More>>

Debbie Johnson

I had a Great Uncle Bill who contracted polio during the Great Depression before the vaccine came out and had no use of his legs most of his life. He did not let that stop him from driving a car or from working hard. He had a factory job and worked his way up to the top. Read More>>

Geovana Attwell

I believe my resilience was born from the moments when I had to hide parts of myself just to survive. As a little girl, I felt abandoned and unseen, so I tucked my inner child away, her dreams, her voice, her softness. I thought that keeping her hidden would protect me from more pain. Read More>>

Lindsey Landwehrle

I credit my resilience to a few key influences in my life. Growing up with a single working mom who ran her own business showed me firsthand the power of independence, grit, and hard work. Watching her balance so much on her own instilled in me a deep understanding that challenges can be overcome with determination and focus. Read More>>

Lili Luchkova

I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria — a small country in Eastern Europe. My parents divorced when I was young, and I grew up with my mother. We didn’t have much, and my teenage years unfolded during a time of massive change as Bulgaria shifted from communism to democracy. It was a period of deep economic crisis and instability. Read More>>

Isabela Ribeiro Schöffler

I believe my resilience comes from a mix of my upbringing and the choices I’ve made throughout my life. I was born and raised in Brazil and went to international schools from a young age, which encouraged me to stay open to different cultures and perspectives. Read More>>

Erin Reddan

Resilience for me was built pre-dawn, one mile at a time. I grew up as a competitive runner, often lacing up before sunrise and learning that discipline, grit, and progress are built in the quiet hours when no one is watching. Read More>>

Deidra Thompson

My resilience was birthed from overcoming various struggles in life. Each disappointment and failure fueled my desire to try harder. I view each opportunity whether good or bad as a learning opportunity. Journaling is helpful for identifying negative thoughts and reframing those negative thoughts into healthier thoughts. Read More>>

Emily Tan

I have faced many challenges in my life. As a child growing up in Japan, I often felt that I did not truly belong. Japanese tradition and culture are beautiful, but behind that beauty lies a rigid standard of how one should behave: to always be good, polite, and selfless, and to live for the sake of others. Read More>>

Rhonda James Woolard

As a sexual abuse survivor, God has been the foundation and the source of my strength. god has always put people in my life to support and encourage me. Most specifically, my grandparents, Birta and Clarence Roberson Sr. who showed me sunconditional love, support and strength. Throughout my life I was given opportunities which enabled me to succeed even in my darkest moments. Read More>>

Gloria Hebert

Unfortunately, I don’t have a cookie-cutter history. I spent part of my childhood in a foster home and faced neglect, but I’ve come to realize that my past doesn’t define me—it has shaped my growth and resilience. Over the past year, I’ve noticed my strengths growing even more. Becoming a mother was transformative. Read More>>

Anastasiya Tkachenko

I love this question. I love it because the act of resilience has been my one saving grace throughout my years of growing, evolving, learning, and developing myself and my career. More importantly, resilience is the rocket fuel we need that kicks in when our gas tank is empty. Our gas tank is our energy, cognitive capacity, emotional bandwidth, and, to a certain degree, ambition. Read More>>

Janusz Maszkiewicz

For me, resilience comes from knowing that nothing lasts forever, storms pass, seasons shift. You just have to stay with it. I had to learn to be resilient early in my life because I was still a small boy when my father died suddenly. Read More>>

Chris Bianchi

I get my resilience from a mix of experience, passion, and perspective. Life has thrown me challenges both personally and professionally. Those could’ve been easy reasons to stop, but I’ve learned to see setbacks as fuel instead. Read More>>

Samantha Fozio

My resilience comes from a deep love for what I do and the people I do it for. Owning a small business isn’t just a job — it’s a heartbeat. Every product I choose, every display I design, every event I plan is a reflection of my passion and commitment to creating something meaningful for our community. Read More>>

Marley Billie D

I believe my resilience comes from my mom and my family. My mom owned her own decorating company while I was growing up, and watching her encouraged me to pursue the arts. She showed me what it looked like to face setbacks, push through boundaries, and keep going no matter what. Read More>>

Dani Regan

I think my resilience just comes from life itself. I’ve been very lucky to have had a wide mix of experiences to date — sports, music, university, travel, each of them have had their own way of teaching me something. Life has a funny way of humbling you. You can be doing really well one moment and then the next, you’re knocked down. Read More>>

Chantal Aquin

My resilience comes from believing there’s always a way forward. While raising two young kids alone and living on very little, I lost the government grant that allowed me to study abroad — but I refused to give up, built a case, and fought ten months until I got it back. Read More>>

Claudia Botero

I believe my resilience comes from my father. He was an entrepreneur who showed me, through his actions, what true determination looks like. I remember him waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning to sell tools and hardware at flea markets when he was just starting out. It wasn’t glamorous, and it wasn’t easy, but he never gave up. Read More>>

edir Terry

Resilience, for me, was never a choice—it became a necessity. I was born and raised in Venezuela, a place where I had everything familiar: my culture, my family, my comfort. But when I left my country to start over in the United States, life tested me in ways I could have never imagined. Read More>>

Lindsay Bowen

When I think about where I get my resilience from, I think back to my childhood. Those years were filled with challenges that demanded strength and determination beyond my age. I chose to keep moving forward even when the path felt impossibly hard. Read More>>

Musik Da Muse

We are made up of hard working individuals in regular life. We juggle multiple jobs and businesses and the pressure that goes with that. In this way, we’re under the process of getting things completed. Since we understand how to get things done, we understand that the pressures of creating something come with the territory. Read More>>

Dr. Ericka Olson

I learned resilience from my mom. She showed me that strength isn’t about never falling down, but about getting back up, again and again. She used to tell me, “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” and those words became my anchor. Read More>>

Kerem Seçkin

I believe my resilience stems from my deep love for what I do and the strong desire I have to bring my visions to life. Having a solid foundation in the profession you choose is incredibly important. I firmly believe that the decision you make regarding your career plays a direct role in shaping how resilient you will be. Read More>>

Abayomi Olatunji

I would say my resilience comes first from my parents, especially my mom. She carved the path for me in so many ways. Growing up, I watched how hard she worked, how much she sacrificed, and how determined she was to make sure I had access to the kind of education and opportunities she never had. Read More>>