The world can feel broken, but it’s probably felt like that to humans at times since the beginning. In the last 100+ years alone, we’ve had several world and regional wars, the Great Depression, significant economic downturns, and now lots of disruption from AI. That’s why looking at quotes on resilience helps boost mindset.
In the times we’ve seen great disruption, including through the global pandemic, more wars, 9/11, and other terrible humanitarian events, the way to get through it is to keep getting up. It’s not easy. I know. But it’s essential. Doing whatever you can to stay resilient is essential for overcoming the pressures life throws our way, as I write in one of my resources.
By nature, I’m an optimist, and no matter how bleak or uncertain things get, people show up, help strangers, and create communities. I’ve spent decades building social enterprises and working with people globally, and those who thrive are the people who keep moving forward, no matter what.
In my view, resilience is a superpower, and I genuinely believe it. So, if you’re stuck and looking for quotes on resilience, I want to share some (there are thousands) and share my thoughts on why they’re practical truths.
What Does Resilience Actually Mean?
Before we get to the quotes, it’s important to define resilience. It’s not about pretending that everything’s fine when it’s not. It’s not about blind optimism, or toughing things out in silence. When you do that, it actually costs you more than being straightforward about the fact that things are not okay.
Real resilience means developing the capacity to face the obstacles, adapt, and move forward. It’s making conscious choices about the setbacks and addressing them head-on. Every choice you make to overcome and become resilient can become a habit and practice that anyone can develop. You’re not born with a resilience trait or not.
Quotes on Resilience: Margaret Thatcher
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” — Margaret Thatcher
When I founded Funds2Orgs, it launched on April 1, 2013, which happened to be April Fools’ Day. It could have been a joke because, candidly, the business model of raising funds through a shoe drive fundraiser by collecting gently worn shoes wasn’t something even fundraisers had heard of in the nonprofit, faith-based, or school sectors.
That challenge of helping people understand the concept took time, as it related to fundraising and also making an economic and environmental impact. As Thatcher expressed, winning and resilience aren’t about a single moment. It’s something you have to keep doing—in other words, working the problem.
Quotes on Resilience: Elizabeth Edwards
“ Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good.” — Elizabeth Edwards
This quote, which is attributed to Elizabeth Edwards, is one that’s so true, and again, what you do when you face challenges is up to you, no matter the issue. Time and again, we’ve seen people who have lost everything choose to move forward. It’s okay to get frustrated, but resilience requires action.
It’s essential after the shock to the system to decide and choose to pivot, if necessary, and move forward. I always say it. You have to start small and take steps. Storms don’t care whether you feel up to meeting them. They just arrive and dump the rain. It’s up to each of us to keep our heads in the game and do everything to keep moving.
Quotes on Resilience: Nelson Mandela
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison in South Africa during apartheid. When he was alive, he spoke about how he endured and was resilient for so many years in prison. But what was most remarkable about him was that he emerged from his sentence without bitterness or hatred, making him one of the most significant figures in history.
Mandela is someone I’ve quoted often in my books because of his resilient perspective. He used to say that a person has to rise every time they get knocked down, and he was someone who earned every syllable of what he shared about his experiences. In the process, he inspired an entire country and its people to transform.
A Superpower You Can Choose to Build
The more years you live, which is a privilege, the higher the chances are that you’ll face significant life challenges. I’ve had my share as well. But I’ve learned something along the way, as I’ve mentioned earlier. You’re not born with resilience. It’s a practice that you build and a decision you make over and over.
For me, I’ve found three things that have made a big difference in becoming and staying resilient:
- Remembering that the challenge is temporary. Everything passes.
- It’s vital to keep moving, even incrementally, so you don’t freeze.
- Surround yourself with people who’ve got your back and can be your sounding board.
The quotes on resilience all point back to the same principles, seen through different perspectives and life experiences. Each of these people didn’t view resilience as a matter of luck. If you read them carefully, you’ll see that each of them described the choice to keep going.
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