While we wind down to the end of 2020 and look hopefully ahead, we know that you need these reminders more than ever. And so today we’re looking to some great minds who have reflected on what it means to be resilient. We hope their thoughts inspire you and help keep that fire in you going strong. 

“It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

In a year in which a pandemic has impacted every aspect of our lives, this idea might seem strange. That it’s not the pandemic in and of itself that will leave the biggest mark on each of us. But instead, the ways in which we have reacted to each curveball that was thrown our way. And yet it’s true. The pandemic is playing a role in your life’s story but it is not everything. There is much more to your story and you’re laying the groundwork for it even as you read this.

“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” – Nelson Mandela

Real character is bred not through success, but through failure and how you react to it. It might seem like a lofty idea. Something that only applies to those who we know to be extraordinary. But remember they didn’t all start out that way. Not even Nelson Mandela. Even our most extraordinary heroes came to be because they made choices and took steps, both big and small, in order to persevere in the face of difficult circumstances.

“The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” – Jodi Picoult

There is much to be said about standing your ground in order to weather storms or in the face of difficult circumstances. But this is not the only way to persevere. It’s also so important to adapt and evolve based on what your circumstances demand of you. Maybe your industry is being transformed. Or your customers’ needs have changed. Whatever challenges you’re facing, give yourself some credit. You’ve overcome everything that you have to get where you are. And you will find a way to get to where you need to, as well.

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve

Not all heroes wear capes. We’ve heard this saying many times but the significance of it doesn’t always come across. No doubt in a year like 2020 you have been called to step up in ways that you have never had to before. And your ability to carry on, even when you are at your lowest, is a special kind of superpower. Harness it. You are a hero of a different kind. 

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” – Maya Angelou

Every experience that you have will no doubt leave an impression upon you. And some may even shape you and change you in certain ways. A lot of that can seem like it’s outside of your control. But ultimately you get to decide how you will react and transform because of your experiences. Let it be in the best ways possible. And let it be something that you come back to time and time again. How and when you grow is up to you. So do it as often as you wish to.

“My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon.” ― Mizuta Masahide (17th century Japanese poet and samurai)

There is a reason or purpose for everything that we face. And it’s up to us to discover the lessons we are meant to learn. Or the perspective that we are meant to gain because of a challenging situation. It may not be clear immediately but by holding on to the idea that there is something more to be gained, we can stay the course to find out what exactly it is.  

“Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” ― Gever Tulley

Randy Pausch, a Professor of Computer Science, once said that the brick walls aren’t meant to keep you out in his inspiring TED talk. They’re put there to help determine who wants something badly enough to work for it. When you face difficult problems it’s very tempting to wish them away or to feel like your circumstances are unfair. But those brick walls that you run into along your journey are the things that prepare you to tackle other challenges as they come. And they’ll help you realize how truly innovative and strong you can be.

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr

Progress is progress no matter how big or small the steps that you take. It may not feel this way, and you may be hungry for bigger wins, but if you keep putting in the work, they will come. So when you can, how ever you can, keep taking steps towards your goals. They are the one surefire way to get to where you want to be. And that includes helping you figure out when you need to veer onto new paths and pivot. 

“Don’t despair: despair suggests you are in total control and know what is coming. You don’t – surrender to events with hope.” – Alain de Botton 

Too often we get attached to an outcome. We think that there’s only one path to success. Or that we have to overcome a challenge or achieve a milestone by a certain timeline. And in other cases we can make ourselves anxious just anticipating that anything that can go wrong, will. Funny enough it’s remembering that we don’t have control over everything that helps us in these circumstances. Because we focus on doing our best and having faith in the fact that when we do, we’ll eventually see things come together.

“Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.” – Oliver Goldsmith

On the way to our goals, it’s inevitable that we all slip, trip, stumble and even spectacularly fall from time to time. And the only way to see our journeys through is to keep getting back up each time. The falls can seem devastating and difficult to overcome, but when we can get back up and going we bring ourselves that much closer to achieving what we hope to. After all, the next time you stand back up, could be the time that you make that final push to the top.

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” –Napoleon Hill

There is a lot to be said about the power of manifestation. We can’t always see all of the steps laid out in front of us but when we can see the bigger picture and imagine how we fit within it, we can more easily figure them out. It can seem easy enough to write off an idea as wishful thinking, but if you think you’ve got something great on your hands just humor yourself for a moment.

Forget the obstacles, and ask yourself if time and money weren’t limited how would you build what you’re imagining? When you can allow yourself to see something and believe in it, you are much more likely to figure out how to claim it.

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”― Margaret Thatcher

There is no guarantee that today’s hurdle won’t come before you tomorrow. Perhaps not in exactly the same way, but there’s always the chance that you’ll face a battle more than once. If you are feeling down this can be hard, especially if it makes you feel like you’re somehow back at square one. But the thing is each time you face a battle, you bring to it all of the wisdom you’ve gained. And new perspectives that make new solutions possible. So don’t worry about how things went in the past. You get to determine how they’ll go this time around.

“Note to self: every time you were convinced you couldn’t go on, you did.” ―Anonymous

You are here, reading these words, still persisting, and persevering. All this in spite of the fact that you’ve no doubt doubted your ability to do so countless times. It kind of just comes with the territory for many entrepreneurs. Well, you can tell your imposter syndrome it’s time to go on and get the heck on. Because you are still here and that means you’ve made it past every circumstance that you thought you couldn’t make it past.

“My life was my life; I would have to stare it down, somehow, and make it work for me.”― Paula McLain 

We all must play the best game we can with the hand that we’ve been dealt. And chances are there may be much more opportunity within the circumstances we face than we realize. Don’t let the highlight reels on social media fool you. Or let others’ plans and perspectives overwhelm your own. There are more than a few ways to live life, and the one that’s best for you is the one that’s most meaningful to you. 

“Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.” –E.B. White

Some days are just so much tougher than others. But even on our darkest days there will always be something we can hang on to. It might be something seemingly simple, but give thanks for what kept you going through to the end of the day. And try to look towards tomorrow with hope. No, there’s no saying that all your troubles will be gone. But there’s also no saying that you won’t be faced with good fortune as well. 

“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” – Thomas A. Edison

As an entrepreneur this is a situation that you’ve come across often. Your back is against the wall, and you’ve used every tool and idea at your disposal. Which means chances are you’re feeling like there’s nowhere else to go. But here’s the thing. You’ve only used up what you already know. Situations like this are where you discover new options and hacks to find a way through. It’s not always pretty but the solutions you come up with in these moments are the ones that get the job done. 

“We are stronger, gentler, more resilient, and more beautiful than any of us imagine.” – Mark Nepo

Humanity has virtues that we often undermine and ignore. We rebuild from nothing, sacrifice the little we have, strive when there is no hope, and are capable of far more than we can imagine. And it takes us being brave in the face of fear to discover where our potential can take us. It may be hard to imagine or acknowledge all of this on a rough day. But remember, you only know what you know. And there is still so much to discover about what you can achieve.

“There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.” – Charles Dickens

If it weren’t for the dark times we experience, we’d never realize how powerful the lights in our lives are. And we aren’t just talking about those we already know of or have lost. Oftentimes it’s when darkness comes into our lives, in one way or another, that we discover new ways to light our path forwards. It can feel like a challenging tradeoff but it’s ultimately always a worthwhile one. And though you can’t know this at the time, keep putting one foot in front of the other and in time you will.

“We will either find a way, or make one.” – Anibal Barca

As an entrepreneur you’re often in uncharted territory. And that means that you’re constantly finding new and better ways to solve problems. Sometimes this means enhancing what’s already on the marketing. Or an operational process that others swear by but just doesn’t work for you. Or sometimes this means completely thinking outside the box and innovating to create new approaches. Whichever way you go, you’ll always be pushing for better for yourself, for your team and for your customers. And that will be worth every bit of discomfort or pain along the way.

“Grief and resilience live together.” – Michelle Obama, Becoming

From grieving comes resilience. And in order to truly grieve we have to let ourselves feel everything that comes with it. Being an entrepreneur is not easy. And it can feel near impossible during a pandemic, no less. Allow yourself to feel what you do about plans that have been put on hold. Or dreams that now have to change or be left behind as you go in search of others. Sometimes these feelings will come waves. Try to let them so that you can move beyond them. And once you have, you’ll find the strength to keep going.

Because all you need is already within you…

Resilience is important for any human being regardless of their walk of life. As an entrepreneur even more so. And yet many of us mistakenly believe that it lies somewhere outside of ourselves. Perhaps with another person, or that it has to be accessed through another opportunity. But in reality, every bit of what we need to persevere, in even the most difficult circumstances, lies within us. And if we just keep on persisting, in whatever ways we can, we’ll always get to where we need to be.