Resilience: The Power to Rise Again
Pain and suffering are a part of life. This is not a pessimistic statement—it’s a truth that allows for profound freedom when accepted. Because once we stop resisting the reality that hardship comes for us all, we can begin to explore what it means to live through it, learn from it, and even grow because of it.
Resilience is not about avoiding pain; it’s about what we do with it.
Resilience is the ability to face adversity, overcome obstacles, and adapt in the face of significant stress or trauma. It’s the quiet, powerful force that enables some people to bounce back from heartbreak, loss, illness, or betrayal—not by forgetting or minimizing the experience, but by transforming it into something meaningful.
In her book Energy Rising, Dr. Julia DiGangi writes:
“The truth about pain is you can never eradicate it; you can only transform it. There is no energy on the planet that can be destroyed. Because your negative emotions are, quite literally, a neurobiological energy, they’re governed by the laws of physics; while energy can’t be destroyed, it can be transformed.”
Resilience, then, is not about being invulnerable—it’s about transformation. Turning wounds into wisdom. Turning mess into meaning.
We all know someone who has faced tremendous hardship and emerged with greater empathy, strength, and clarity—and someone else who, under the weight of similar pain, continues to spiral. The difference is often not in the severity of the struggle, but in the support, tools, and mindset that surround it.
Some key ingredients of resilience include:
Hope and imagination: The belief that something new is possible, even if you can’t see it yet.
Self-compassion: Offering kindness to yourself in moments of pain, rather than judgment.
Emotional regulation: Learning to feel your emotions without being consumed by them.
Connection: Knowing you don’t have to go it alone. Support matters.
Agency: Trusting that you have choices, even in small ways, that shape your experience.
It’s also about quieting the inner critic and remembering that everyone makes mistakes. You are allowed to fail and still be worthy. You are allowed to fall and still get back up.
Dr. DiGangi reminds us of another powerful truth:
“The responsibility to transform your pain is great, because if you don’t transform it, you’ll transmit it… to your team, to your children and partner, and worst of all, to yourself.”
If we don't tend to our pain, it doesn’t simply disappear—it leaks out into our relationships, our work, our choices. But when we face it head-on with honesty and courage, we can break cycles, set boundaries, and model something different for the people around us.
Resilience isn’t just an emotional quality—it’s deeply connected to our physical and psychological health. Studies have shown that psychological resilience improves immune response, lowers inflammation, and can even extend life expectancy. It also protects against anxiety, depression, and burnout.
When we build psychological resilience, we also cultivate:
Emotional resilience – the ability to stay grounded in the face of stress.
Physical resilience – a stronger immune system, quicker recovery, better sleep.
Relational resilience – healthier boundaries, deeper empathy, and clearer communication.
The belief that “this is just how I am,” “this is just how life is,” or “I’ll never be able to change” is a lie pain tells us when it’s been left untended. But it is not the truth.
You are not truly stuck—geographically, culturally, mentally, physically, or emotionally.
You can change your mind.
You can rewire old patterns.
You can start again, today.
Resilience is not a trait you have or don’t have—it’s a skill you can build.
And every time you choose to pause, to breathe, to feel, to reflect…
Every time you practice kindness toward yourself instead of criticism…
Every time you take one brave step in a new direction…
You are already rising.
