Have you ever felt like you were barely holding it together — like life just kept hitting you, again and again, with no break?

Yeah. Me too.

There were seasons where I genuinely didn’t know how I’d get back up. Times when burnout, grief, heartbreak, or just plain exhaustion made me question everything. What saved me wasn’t some grand moment of transformation — it was a handful of words.

These 7 quotes didn’t just inspire me — they held me together. They reminded me that resilience isn’t about being bulletproof. It’s about bending, falling, failing — and still choosing to rise.

So whether you’re deep in the mud or just looking to build your inner strength, I hope one of these speaks to your heart the way it did to mine.

1. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb

Resilience isn’t about never falling. It’s about always getting back up.

When I lost my father, this quote reminded me that getting out of bed, brushing my teeth, showing up — even in pain — was a victory.

2. “You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.” – Edwin Louis Cole

Pain isn’t the enemy. Staying stuck is.

I learned that after a soul-crushing breakup that left me grieving who I thought I was. Healing began when I stopped marinating in misery and chose to move forward, one small action at a time.

3. “No mud, no lotus.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Burnout brought me to my knees. But that season taught me boundaries, self-worth, and healing.

Lotuses grow from mud. So does strength.

4. “She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails.” – Elizabeth Edwards

There is power in the pivot.

I thought strength meant pushing through everything. But sometimes, the strongest thing you can do is adjust.

5. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” – Maya Angelou

Life has changed me — deeply.

But I’m not broken. I’m refined. This quote reminded me that we can be shaped by pain… without letting it define us.

6. “It’s not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne

Carrying the weight of the world alone? That’s what nearly broke me.

Learning to rest, to delegate, to ask for help — that’s what made me unbreakable.

7. “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried. But you’ve actually been planted.” – Christine Caine

Dark seasons aren’t the end. Sometimes, they’re the beginning of something new growing inside you.

So what’s the takeaway?

Resilience isn’t about looking strong.

It’s about choosing to keep going, even when you don’t feel strong at all.

Let these words become your anchors.

Write them down. Speak them. Keep them close.

You don’t have to rise perfectly — you just have to rise.

Your Turn:

Which quote spoke to your soul the most?

Leave a comment, or better yet — write it somewhere you’ll see it every day. Let it become your reminder that no matter what life throws at you…

You are still standing. And you are not alone.

📌 Ready to build deeper resilience?

Check out my youtube channel for more tools and resouces. Until next time, stay radiant and take care of your beautiful mind and body.

With love and light, Christabel (HerRadiantMind)

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