by Raiko K.
I’ve come to learn that resilience is not an epic battle, but a quiet discipline. It’s the act of remaining whole within myself even as the external world transforms beyond my control. It is not so much the act of overpowering, but the act of holding on, intentionally.
There are moments when the world can become too much, when circumstance forces its hand, and my mind slips into thoughts of fear or irritation. On those days, I tell myself the external world is not mine to command. My command extends only so far as my response to the world. My own thoughts. The position of my soul.
Resilience to me is the practice of finding my way back to what is mine to command. My work. My clarity. My willingness to accept things as they are, without distortion. It’s the deliberate choice not to be swept away by every single disappointment or pang of emotion, not because I am unfazed by what is felt, but because I refuse to forfeit my own inner equilibrium for that which doesn’t belong to me.
I’ve also discovered that strength is not the avoidance of the difficult. It is the ability to maintain equilibrium in the midst of struggle. It is to know hurt and not to define oneself by that knowledge. It is to accept uncertainty without it unmaking me. It is to walk on even though the road is unknown.
There is an ensuing sense of liberty from that. A freedom that arises when I remember that resilience is not something bestowed upon me by the world, but something I build within. Slowly, day by day. Piece by piece. Through my will to try once more, through a quiet affirmation of my ability to weather what comes my way, and an acceptance that the world won’t always twist in the directions that I’d prefer.
I’m not claiming to remain untouched. I’m a person and I do have a heart that feels. But I’ve come to understand that resilience isn’t about not feeling the hardship at all; it’s about how I choose to carry it. It’s about facing the day with a quiet mind, an even heart, and the understanding that I can endure more than I originally thought I was capable of.
Thus, rather than a shield, resilience becomes a compass. It brings me back to who I am; it brings me back to myself again and again, no matter how many times I get lost along the way.
Art by Ellis Hollering, “Storm“
About the Author
Raiko is an undergraduate at Boston University with a strong commitment to the intersections of health, justice, and human dignity. Passionate about advocacy against domestic violence, they hope to use both their education and their writing to amplify voices often overlooked.