Resilience Matters

A couple weeks ago I visited the Lone Cypress tree in Pebble Beach. One of the most photographed trees in North America, this western icon has withstood 250 years through fires, storms, wind, drought, vandalism and more. People travel from all around the world to admire this tree and its resilience. Beauty gains value through hardships.


I blog because my life hasn’t been easy. I share because I am standing on a platform that is reachable to so many. I’ve been suicidal, obese, lived through tragic loss, kicked out of my home and abandoned, heartbroken, you name it. I fight through, growing from each and every challenge, standing strong and capable. I know I can live through whatever comes my way. I hope my resilience inspires. An average girl with an extraordinary understanding of what it means to survive. What it means to be happy. 


I don’t want pity. That is not the takeaway from my struggles. I don’t view my life with teary eyes, I view my life through sparkly eyes. I want people to see me and understand how challenges turn into strengths. My beauty is my hardiness. My confidence comes from the trust I have in myself. My courage, my fight, my influence come from my tribulations. Misfortune doesn’t equate to destruction. Misfortune comes with opportunity. Take what you’re dealt and be better because of it. Pick up the cards in your hand and make something from them. The more cards you’re dealt, situations you find yourself going through, the more hands you can create. Life experiences broaden the mind. Take advantage of the directions you can go from here. 


I fell in love with the process of living my best life. Nothing can derail me from that goal. Anything that tries to dim the light navigating me to a better being can be lit by my fire and brought back to illumination. I am in complete control of this mission. I do not adjust my goals when they feel hard to reach, I adjust my attitude. My puzzle is never complete but every moment has a place to fit and build from. I am on a never ending journey of becoming. Guided by what brings me joy, steered by my reactions. The course of my life might come with complicated obstacles and undesirable routes, but I can look back at my many triumphs. Levels conquered. My life deserves reward. I am the captain and I’ve kept my ship afloat through each and every storm. It is not drowning when my reflection breaks the surface. 


Resilience is noteworthy. You have to sink a little to attain depth. Pushed past breaking points, stretched thin, crumbling. Easy doesn't feel like an accomplishment. It’s the scars, the bruises, the wrinkles that carry worth. Appreciate the moments that bring you down, because it is these same moments that show you how it feels to fly.