Importance of Resilience

I want to talk about the importance of resilience and how resiliency has played a positive role in my life after my injury. Resiliency is a powerful tool and something we all possess. When I first broke my neck, it felt like my life was over.

My injury felt too big of a situation to overcome. It felt hopeless. I knew focusing on what I lost wouldn’t help me move forward. I remember lying in my hospital bed and having an internal conversation with myself. I came to two conclusions: I could either give up and feel sorry for myself or fight and create a future. I could get bitter or get better. Those were my only two options. Even though I didn’t know how I would do it, I decided that day that I would not let my injury dictate my future. That was my first time tapping into my inner resiliency.

Resiliency is found within us; it’s something everyone has. I was not born with the gift of resiliency. Not everyone chooses to be resilient, but anyone can become resilient. By choosing to be resilient, I learned to adapt to the challenges that came my way. My spinal cord injury forced me to go through things that were out of my comfort zone. I realized how much growth happens when you do uncomfortable things. The other thing I noticed was the opportunities and doors that opened for me by doing things out of my comfort zone.

A few months ago, I went to a networking luncheon to try and promote what I do for work. I went all by myself, and I was nervous. I was surrounded by a bunch of older, successful people who owned their own companies, and of course, I was the only one in a wheelchair. I felt out of place and wanted to leave, but I chose to stay. Everyone was given 30 seconds to introduce themselves and give a pitch on their company. When it was my turn, I introduced myself, talked about what I do, and shared a little about my story. It felt good, but I wasn’t sure if I would get anything out of this. When it was over people started mingling. A lady walked over to me and said she loved my story and hearing how far I’ve come. She asked me if I would like to be featured in a local magazine that gets sent out to the community. I said yes right away, and we exchanged contact information. It was a great opportunity that happened only because I put myself out there. My family and I got our own section in the article, and we were on the cover of the magazine.

The great thing about choosing to be resilient is that it will transform you into a version of yourself you never imagined becoming that you are proud of. It will open doors for you that never would have opened if you didn’t do things outside of your comfort zone. It has done it for me, and it can do the same for you.