Striving to Thriving: Overcoming Setbacks and Embracing Resiliency

  • experience, mentors, relationships, youth
  • Health, Mental Health, Resources for Parents, Guardians, Families, Resources for Professionals, Resources for Teens and Young Adults
Striving to Thriving: Overcoming Setbacks and Embracing Resiliency

 

Life throws unexpected challenges our way, testing our resilience and pushing us to our limits. But it's during these difficult times that we have the opportunity to grow and emerge stronger than ever before. My name is Tone, and I want to share a part of my journey with you, hoping it will inspire you to keep pushing forward, even when the odds seem stacked against you.

In 2020, I experienced a series of setbacks that seemed to come one after another, leaving me feeling overwhelmed and defeated. First, my apartment burned down, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, followed by a car accident that totaled my vehicle, and finally, I lost my job due to pandemic-related cutbacks. It felt like I was at rock bottom, with no end in sight to the challenges that kept coming my way. But rather than giving up or wallowing in self-pity, I made the conscious decision to face each setback head-on and keep moving forward.

I won't sugarcoat it—there were days when I felt like I couldn't go on, nights when I cried myself to sleep and moments when I questioned why these things were happening to me. But through it all, I refused to let these setbacks define me or dictate my future. Instead, I chose to use these experiences as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

Facing setbacks and adversity head-on teaches you about:

Limiting Beliefs: By daring beyond self-perceived limits, you discover more that you can do.

Resourcefulness: Overcoming a setback hones skills that strengthen resolve and improve resilience for future challenges.

Mistakes: Instructions for what not to do the next time a similar challenge presents itself.

Today, I am proud to say that I have overcome those setbacks and emerged stronger and more resilient than ever before. I now run my own successful business, where I can pursue my passion for fashion and help others along the way. Every setback taught me valuable lessons about perseverance, determination, and the importance of never giving up on my dreams.

Here are four helpful tips to overcome your personal setbacks.

Acceptance: It is what it is, so embrace the setback. Don’t accept it as a permanent roadblock. Consider what you can change and do something while, at the same time, accepting the things you cannot change.

Choose Resilience: Resilience is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Decide to experience the hardships and learn from them. You will emerge from these situations with increased strength and resilience.

Focus Your Mindset: A setback is not an insurmountable obstacle. Your attitude toward what happens to you is more important than the circumstances. Focus on what can be done in the present, make plans for the future, and highlight the positive in what is happening. Positive thinking won’t solve anything, but it can help you to frame adversity as an opportunity. Adapt and move forward, knowing your goal doesn't have to change when the road changes.

Visualize on Your Goal: Visualization has many benefits for goal setting. Creating a clear image of what you want to achieve, writing (and drawing) it down on paper, and looking at it regularly will help you focus on your goal. Focusing on a prosperous future can be instrumental to your long-term attitude and actions while supporting your current behaviors.

So, if you face setbacks or challenges in your own life, I want you to know that it is possible to overcome them. Remember that setbacks are not permanent roadblocks but detours that can lead you to new opportunities and possibilities. Embrace the resilience within you, and trust that you have the strength and courage to overcome obstacles.

In the words of Winston Churchill, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." Keep pushing forward, keep striving for your dreams, and one day, you will find yourself not just surviving but thriving in ways you never thought possible.

 

Other resources:

 

About the author:
Anthony, or Tone for short, has worked in the child welfare system for over eight years and has lived experience in the field. Tone is also a full-time business owner who looks to incorporate helping others in similar situations he once was in.