5 Resilience Examples to Learn From and Resilience Counseling Resources to Improve Your Life and Well-Being

December 2, 2021

Examples are all around us of those who share their life struggles, put on a brave face, and overcome with strength and perseverance.

Sure, current and historic leaders shape our lives but, still, consistent strength comes from inside ourselves. And when we simply don’t have the strength or coping mechanisms we need, sometimes we require reliable resilience counseling resources to help.

Counseling sessions or even a free, downloadable virtual therapy solution can alleviate concerns quickly and provide the resources necessary to move forward and win.

Here are some resilience examples of people who have shaped lives and who can serve as an inspiration as you face life’s struggles and prepare for a real breakthrough.

5 Resilience Examples to Learn From

1. Bethany Hamilton, Professional Surfer and Life Changer

Bethany Hamilton, AKA The “Soul Surfer,” has inspired many with her story of being a surfer and facing the tragedy of having her arm literally bit off by a shark. Her story affected many as she came back to the surfing circuit, broke many records, and even became a professional surfer.

Her resilience example is life-changing not only for herself but for others. But it wasn’t easy to go through what she did and to press on.

Bethany had a choice–to get back up and try again and seek help from those she trusted–or to throw in the towel, fall into depression, and give up her gift forever. Today, her talents and gifts live on and inspire us.

2. Benjamin Franklin, a Formally Uneducated World Changer

Benjamin Franklin is a valuable historical resilience example because he didn’t have the education or the support to get ahead in life.

At only 12 years old, Benjamin’s father took him out of school to work as an apprentice to his brother who was a printer. Still, he wanted to learn so he taught himself through reading books.

Through books, he taught himself to write, swim, explore solutions, and he educated himself for the future.

Benjamin’s hard work, perseverance, and brilliance led to him becoming one of the most famous Founding Fathers of America. Not only that, he invented bifocals, the lightning rod, and many other important contributions to society.

Benjamin once said, “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

3. Thomas Edison and His 1,000 Failures

According to the old saying by American educator Thomas H. Palmer, “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This commonly repeated adage was exemplified by Thomas Edison, the American inventor responsible for the lightbulb and the phonograph.

In his own words, he didn’t view the hundreds (if not thousands) of failed inventions as mistakes.

Thomas Edison famously said,

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

He persisted through thousands of attempts and near successes because he knew that hard work was essential to the final result. Without his patience with the process, he would have likely never flicked the switch on the first incandescent lightbulb.

Not only was his resilience in the face of failure apparent by his dedication to hard work, but it was also evident in the way he viewed his work.

Edison also once said,

“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

What’s the lesson here? Edison tells us that hard work and persistence pay off which makes him one of the true historical resilience examples. Even when faced with 1,000 failures, 1,001 may very well succeed.

4. Emmeline Pankhurst, a Strong Voice for All Women

Today, women owe much to women like Emmeline Pankhurst and her leadership within the suffrage movement.

Born in 1858 in Manchester, England, Pankhurst followed the example of her mother to become an avid supporter of the early suffrage movement. At the time, women had few if any civil rights compared to their male counterparts. Under most jurisdictions, women were not even considered persons under the law.

Pankhurst demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of extreme adversity throughout her decades of work for the female vote. She led window-smashing campaigns to get attention, she was arrested and later, force-fed in prison. None of these experiences changed her opinion.

She traveled the world to speak with other women’s rights movements. As Emmeline told a crowd in Connecticut in 1913, “You have to make more noise than anybody else, you have to make yourself more intrusive than anybody else, you have to fill all the papers more than anybody else. In fact, you have to be there all the time and see that they do not snow you under if you are really going to get your reform realized.”

Pankhurst’s constant push for political and civil reforms eventually led to the women’s right to vote. No matter the resistance she faced politically, socially, or otherwise, she continued to pursue what she knew was right. Her life is a lesson worth taking to heart.

5. Louis-Joseph Chevrolet, A Swiss-American Household Name

Louis-Joseph Chevrolet is most widely known as the founder of Chevrolet Motor Company. But, did you know that he was first a Swiss racing car driver and had many failed attempts in other fields like bicycle building? It’s true!

Born in the canton of Neuchâtel to a French-Swiss couple, Chevrolet spent much of his professional life in the U.S., establishing Chevrolet in Detroit, followed by the Frontenac Motor Company.

But before that, Chevrolet’s dad taught him basic mechanical skills and shared with him the importance of manufacturing precision.

Although his initial bicycle manufacturing business was not successful, he had exposure to mechanics. And that coupled with exposure to the auto industry from the DeDion Bouton Motorette Company, Chevrolet earned the opportunity to be a substitute racecar driver in New York City. Chevrolet even brought his entire family to America and became a citizen.

Chevrolet pressed on and designed a small touring car. The 6-cylinder vehicle–called the first Chevrolet was proof that with resilience and help from others supporting all around us, we should never give up and always persevere.

Learning to Thrive and Grow

From yesterday’s leaders, we learn patience, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to their values. And we enjoy and appreciate their impact on our lives.

From today’s leaders such as Bethany Hamilton, we learn that at any age, we can make a significant impact on the lives of others and with resilience examples, pressing on to be successful.

As authors of the book Leadership Today: Practices for Personal and Professional Performance, tell us,

“Resilience is not an end state of being, but rather a process of adaptation and growth within a risky landscape.”

Frankly, sometimes, we need help–the assistance of family, friends, and colleagues, as well as resilience counseling support to press on through adversity and even medical and mental challenges.

Depression and loneliness are examples of some of those challenges we sometimes face, especially in situations like a pandemic.

Sure, we all run across obstacles in life. But resilience helps us to bounce back from difficult experiences. And resilience examples of people who overcome find healthy ways to resolve their concerns–integrating resilience counseling and support into their lives.

Overcoming Adversity with Resilience Counseling and Resources

In the face of overwhelming adversity, no matter what life challenges throw at us, we can overcome anxiety and navigate the most hopeless of situations.

Sure, it’s great to look at resilience examples of people who have overcome life’s struggles. But when you need solid resilience counseling resources and support to break the cycles of fear and negative thoughts, there are some simple and reliable tools that can help.

ChatOwl’s virtual app is a free, downloadable resource to consult with when you need resilience advice. ChatOwl’s usefulness in addressing how to navigate troubling issues such as general anxiety, isolation, and depression, and other concerns can help you more readily enjoy life and realize a happy tomorrow.

ChatOwl is easily accessible. Try ChatOwl’s professional support free, virtual app today.