Craig explains how building resilience has helped him through the toughest of challenges.
I believe that the phrase ‘Never giving up’ is more about resilience than blind stubbornness. It’s about grit, gumption and having a belief system that carries you through challenges. We’ve all seen those cheesy posters that say things like ‘Keep going, you can do it!’ and had a little laugh. But behind the cliché lies something much more powerful: the idea of never giving up.
For me, resilience starts with belief, and I hold an unwavering belief that I am resilient. That doesn’t mean life is always easy or that I don’t face challenges. What it does mean is that when difficulties come my way, I know deep down that I can handle them. This belief helps me take setbacks in my stride. Instead of being overwhelmed, my mindset shifts quickly to:
- what can I learn from this?
- what opportunities does this open up?
- how can I use this situation to grow?
That mindset doesn’t erase the difficulty, but it does stop me from getting stuck.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I’m not a Billy Ocean superfan (for those of you old enough to remember the song!), but he had a point. The tougher the situation, the more determined I feel to keep moving forward.
It reminds me of Edison and the invention of the lightbulb. It took him well over a thousand attempts before he succeeded. He didn’t see these attempts as failures, instead choosing to see them as steps closer to success. That’s how resilience works for me. Every setback brings me closer to a solution, even when it feels pretty challenging.
I’ve learned that resilience often boils down to the way I talk to myself. When challenges show up, I don’t say, “This is impossible.” Instead, I remind myself, “I’ve faced challenges before. I’ve overcome harder things. I know I can get through this too.”
During COVID, for example, my mantra became, “Every day, we’re one day closer.” When I was stuck at home, missing friends, I would repeat it to myself. That small phrase gave me back a sense of control. It reminded me that time was moving, progress was happening and the situation wasn’t forever.
Resilience isn’t just mental toughness, it’s also about wellbeing. When we’re feeling exhausted, stressed or running on empty, it can feel harder to bounce back. The more we take care of ourselves, recharging, resting or nurturing our emotional and physical health, the easier it becomes to stay resilient. Self-care fuels resilience!
Never giving up isn’t about pretending life is always easy. It’s about knowing that no matter what happens, you’ll find a way through. Each time you do, you get stronger, tougher and more resilient, because I strongly believe resilience isn’t just something you have, but something you continue to build.
What do you do to build your resilience?