Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Resilience in the face of adversity is one of those qualities that can mean different things to different people.

To me, resilience means embracing what life throws at us, knowing we’re not victims, and believing that somehow, each challenge is shaping us for the better. It might sound big, but I genuinely believe that every experience in my life has led me to this moment to share my story with you.

The First Loss: Building Strength Through Grief

My first taste of adversity was when my dad died when I was 7 years old. I was too young to realize what was happening and was shielded. He was there, then in hospital. I only visited him shortly once so when he didn’t come back from the hospital I didn’t think about it.

I know that sounds strange and it does to me now. It was a strange time.

A difference a year makes.

Before the first anniversary of my dad’s passing, we left our home, moved to another country to live with relatives I didn’t know, and started over in a new house and school. I was 8 and didn’t fully process all that was going on and my body reacted where I didn’t. I started to faint the year after we moved and continued until I was 40 years old.

Losing my father at a young age was a wound that I didn’t fully understand. The grief was buried, yet it showed up in ways I didn’t expect. From the time I was 9 until my 40s, fainting became almost a regular part of my life. At first, it felt like an odd inconvenience, but I later began to recognize that my body was speaking what my heart hadn’t been able to—grief and loss have a way of doing that.

Mind / Body Connection

This connection between mind and body taught me that unprocessed emotions can weigh down more than just the heart; they can take a toll on our whole being. I eventually realized that these fainting episodes were, in part, my body’s way of holding onto something that I hadn’t fully allowed myself to feel or release. It was as though my grief, unspoken and unacknowledged, found an outlet in my physical symptoms.

As time passed, I understood that confronting these emotions head-on was the only way to stop them from residing in my body. I drew a line in the sand and decided to make a change. When I finally allowed myself to grieve, seek help, feel and let go, I felt a shift—a new level of resilience that was more than just “getting through.” It was about learning to process, to heal, and to grow stronger in the face of adversity.

This realization became a foundation for me, teaching me that resilience isn’t about ignoring pain but about understanding it, working through it, and emerging on the other side with newfound strength.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Finding Strength in a Chronic Illness

This inner strength was put to the test when, at 38 and with three young children, I found myself constantly in pain, barely able to walk the length of my own house, and utterly exhausted. After months of uncertainty, I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue.

Surprisingly, the diagnosis brought relief; it was an answer, a name for what I’d been enduring. Now that I knew what I was up against, I felt ready to find a way forward.

My biggest goal has always been to give my family memories. Having missed out on so much myself, I was determined that my children wouldn’t have the same experience. I’d already missed birthdays and sports events and knew things had to change.

With that in mind, I committed to finding ways to manage FM and CF to be present for my family. I began a nutritional program that helped my body function closer to its best, and to this day, I still rely on those changes. At that moment, I made a clear decision: lying on the couch would no longer be an option. I began asking myself a question that has guided me ever since.

What can I do?

It’s amazing how solutions appear when we look for them with intention and resilience. By asking, listening, and being willing to adapt, I found that I could push through and reclaim a life full of memories. With the right mindset, anything is possible.

Facing New Challenges: Lessons from Concussion

In 2014, another setback arrived. I was watching my daughter play indoor field hockey when, out of nowhere, a hard, flying ball struck me directly in the right temple. The pain hit immediately, and I went into protection mode. My instinct was to stay calm for her sake, so I told her I was fine and encouraged her to keep playing. I stayed through the game and then drove her home.

When I got home, I lay down with an ice pack, hoping the pain would ease. But that was just the beginning. Over the next 14 months, my life shifted drastically. The headaches were relentless, and I experienced episodes where I struggled to speak clearly. Many days, the pain was so intense that I had to retreat to a dark room and attempt to think of nothing. The mental quiet became my only relief.

This experience forced me to develop a skill I hadn’t valued before: clearing my mind entirely. It was harder than I ever imagined, but it became essential. I had to stop my mind from racing, to let my brain truly rest. This taught me a new depth of resilience.

What can I learn from this?

The answer was life-changing. I learned that slowing down and meditating is as important—if not more so—than constantly doing. This experience reminded me that resilience isn’t always about pushing through but sometimes about pulling back, finding calm, and allowing ourselves to recharge. I realized that taking moments to reset is essential for focusing on what matters most in the present.

Find more ways to recharge in this self-care blog and the simple steps you can take.

Silence is Strength: Finding New Ways to Communicate

This need to reset became even more evident when COVID struck, and I faced a new setback: I caught a virus that left me voiceless. Speaking was almost impossible—any attempt was met with a cough or complete silence. The exhaustion and pain from the virus were draining enough, but losing my voice brought its own set of challenges. I was told not to speak at all for a few months, which felt daunting and isolating. Eventually, I sought help from a speech therapist and a naturopath, working to restore both my energy and my voice.

What can I learn from this?

This time, the lesson was one I hadn’t expected. I learned that communication doesn’t always need to be spoken and that there’s profound insight in simply listening. Being voiceless taught me to observe more deeply and respond thoughtfully, often with just a gesture or a note. Writing down my questions and answers sparingly on paper allowed me to stay connected and carry out my full-time job—though it took patience and adaptation.

This experience reminded me that resilience isn’t just about bouncing back but also about adapting creatively when life changes our plans. It reinforced the value of silence, tuning into others, and finding strength in quieter forms of communication.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity: A Long Road to Recovery

Amid these other challenges, I also faced knee issues that began suddenly while on holiday. My right kneecap chipped, and a fragment lodged in my knee, preventing me from straightening my leg. The pain and swelling were immediate, and I soon found myself in a wheelchair. After numerous medical visits and procedures, I eventually had both kneecaps replaced, though arthritis remains a constant companion in my joints.

Growth in Adversity: Lessons Learned Through Every Setback

These experiences have taught me some invaluable lessons.

Most importantly, I’ve learned that resilience isn’t just about pushing through but choosing to live fully despite setbacks. Building healthy habits along the way has allowed me to find joy in each day, to seek out the good moments, and to recognize that even small steps forward count as progress.

Resilience is a lifelong journey, not a destination.

Each challenge is an opportunity to deepen our practice in self-care, mindfulness, and gratitude. If my experiences can remind even one person that they, too, can face life’s trials with strength and hope, then I know they’ve served a purpose beyond my growth.

It’s not about the obstacles but about the lessons we choose to carry with us. With each hurdle, I’ve found that we can live well, even through difficult seasons, by embracing the present and finding beauty in every step forward.

I believe that we have lessons to learn in life and if we don’t learn them we keep getting situations given to us that will allow us to go through the similar experience until we know the lesson.

Having different limitations temporarily given to me has allowed me to learn things that I wouldn’t have looked for otherwise.