Resilience

A reflection on resilience through the voices of those who chose to keep going.

Motunrayo's response:

Creative Operations Manager

Resilience to me, is the quiet art of beginning again, softer, wiser, and still believing in yourself no matter how many times you’ve had to restart. It’s not just about enduring challenges but growing through them finding strength and clarity in chaos. There was a time like a few months ago where I felt lost , juggling roles, trying to figure out my path, and still showing up every day. But I kept moving, even without clarity. I don’t know exactly where I’m going yet, but I know it’s somewhere great.

Beerah’s response:

Executive Assistant

Resilience to me, is not about pretending everything is fine. It’s the quiet strength that makes me show up even when my heart feels heavy. It’s how I pick myself up after the things and people I cared about fell apart. It’s finding peace in the chaos, learning to breathe again after long nights of overthinking and choosing to still hope even when it feels foolish. Resilience is the part of me that writes instead of breaking down, that keeps building and rebranding, that still believes in better days even after too many disappointments. It’s not perfection. It’s survival with grace and the courage to keep going, even when I don’t feel strong. There was a time in my life that broke me completely. Everything I thought was stable,things I thought I could depend on, fell apart. I was left trying to make sense of the emptiness that followed. It wasn’t just sadness, it was the kind of pain that changes how you see yourself and the world around you. I found myself questioning my worth, my choices and even the things that once made me happy. It felt like losing a part of myself the familiar routines, the comfort, the sense of direction I once had. For weeks, I struggled to find balance again. I couldn’t recognize myself or the strength people always said I had. But in that silence, I learned to sit with my pain instead of running from it. I started writing more, reflected, cried and learned, slowly piecing myself back together. I beganchoosing myself in ways I never had before, piece by piece, day by day, poured my energy into growth, into becoming someone stronger, softer and self aware. That period taught me that resilience isn’t about pretending to be fine. It’s about standing up each day, even when your heart feels heavy and choosing to keep going. My resilience shone through in the quiet moments when no one was watching in the way I chose healing over bitterness, peace over chaos and myself over everything I lost. It’s not about staying unbroken, it’s about finding beauty and strength in the cracks.

Mide’s response:

Fashion Stylist

Resilience to me means not giving up, knowing that even if things feel very hard or you’re in a lot of pain it’ll pass (this is something I tell myself a lot). The transition into uni was a lot for me, I’m the first daughter of 4 girls so automatically I was raised to always have it figured out, to never cry, I felt like having emotions was a luxury I couldn’t afford. Imagine being 16 and trying to have your life all figured out that was me, I was constantly berating myself and comparing myself to other people, I even got burnt out. Thankfully I made genuine friends and had the right kind of people around me, they gave me the strength to be resilient and I’m very grateful for them because even if I haven’t made my billions yet I have direction and that’s what’s important.

Olajumoke’s response:

Social Media manager

Resilience to me means not giving up despite things or that situation being very hard on you. This too shall pass or no situation or condition is permanent for two of my favorite quotes. Being a first child and first daughter in an African home is already a burden on its own then coming from a broken home is another burden. My parents separated when I was 14 and it felt like life was about to end for me because I didn’t know what to do next or how to transition into the life of living with my father instead of being with both parents. At first crying was my only option but after crying for a week I thought to myself that is this going to for be the way forward for myself then I picked myself up and decided to show up for my siblings and myself because despite how hard it was going to be I didn’t have a choice and life needs to get moving forward. My brothers gave me the strength to move forward to be resilient and I met amazing people along the way and I’m very grateful for them because even though I don’t know what life holds for me and despite it being hard showing up there are people that are cheering for me and that’s what’s important.

Abisola’s response:

Chief operations officer

Resilience to me is the ability to keep going even when things get really tough, bouncing back each time. Like still showing up, still trying even when it feels easier to stop. Growing up in a military household wasn’t easy. Everything was about discipline and following rules, so I couldn’t really do the things I wanted like music and other creative stuff. It used to frustrate me a lot, but over time I learned to stay strong and still find ways to express myself. Even when it felt like I had to hide parts of who I was, I didn’t stopped dreaming or creating. That’s what resilience means to me, still showing up for myself, even when the environment doesn’t make it easy.

Chelsea’s response:

Project Coordinator

Resilience to me is about remembering something that you really poured in your heart into and it didn’t go exactly as planned, but rather than allowing it weigh you down you wake up around 2 am and scream and say “No wam,e go be” and then do something better.

Rereloluwa’s response:

Head Writer

Alright then. This is Rere Von Schöpfer. Resilience means the ability to hold on to a decision despite the presence of external or internal influences. One of my experiences when I had to be resilient was last year when my support systems in church were no longer involved in the process of my growth. I stayed away from people in general for a while because I felt everybody was the same but a friend came to me and said “The pain you’re experiencing now, is to serve as a springboard for your growth into a new level". So I held those words close and they consistently inspired me never to give up. Because in his words my pain was a gift.

Abraham’s response:

Creative Designer

For me, resilience is about hope. It’s the quiet decision to keep going, to trust that growth can come from pain, and to rise every time life knocks you down. Those small, steady choices we make every day to keep showing up, to keep believing, and to keep building, even when the road feels endless. It’s knowing that no matter how rough things get, you’ll always find a way to rise again.

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